With a healthy heritage and background in drum & bass, Icicle's music at the slower dubstep tempo retains alot of the hallmarks he's become reliable for: interesting atmospherics, tough drums and mammoth bass lines that work soundsystems properly and with vigour. After releasing his debut brooding dubstep 12" on Friction's Shogun Audio imprint we got wind of his inclusion on Tempa's forthcoming Dubstep Allstars 6 EP - where he appears alongside luminaries like SBTRKT and FaltyDL alongside people like Benga and Skream - and after a quick investigation it was obvious that his newer productions showed more than a hell of a lot of promise, sitting effortlessly in the midst of such established company.
So... in an attempt to shed light on what we felt was some of the weightiest and spacious, ominously moody dubstep to hit SR HQ's speakers in a while, we caught up with the London based Dutchman, who in turn provides the wider internet with our 53rd Sonic Router Mix.
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
My name is Jeroen Snik aka Icicle. I’m from Eindhoven in Holland but moved to London 2 years ago because of music. I’m predominantly known for making and DJing drum & bass and am signed to DJ Friction’s Shogun Audio label. I’ve been making techno and dubstep for a long time also and have just started putting that out there more.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
Outside of music there isn’t a lot going on right now. I’ve studied mechanical engineering but put that on hold when the music took off for me a few years ago. I moved to London and decided to put all my time to the music and give myself a couple of years to just follow it and do it right.
How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do so?
I started playing piano at a really young age and a bit later the drums as well. When I was about nine or ten or something I remember getting this massive old Casio keyboard from my grand parents with built in drum tracks and loads of different voices and I started recording myself jamming with a little tape player. Then when I found out you could use computers to program music I was hooked and never looked back.
What’s your production set up like? What’s your favourite bit of kit in the studio?
I’ve got a mac based studio running Logic and I rewire Reason into it for certain elements of my tunes. I’ve got a motu feeding the industry standard Mackie hr824’s, 2 valve compressors to beef up beats and a Mackie desk. A Roland sh-101 because it’s just too much fun, not because it’s actually essential to my sound. But my favourite thing has got to be my SSL Duende, the channel EQ’s from it are so brilliantly transparent and precise, you can make everything sound crisp.
Icicle - Minimal Dub [Shogun Audio]
You’ve recently started making dubstep stuff after along time doing d&b… How did you get into this current flux of dubstep?
Well, it’s more like I’ve (relatively) recently decided to send some of my stuff to some people in dubstep, I have been listening to it and making it for years. I just found solely putting out d&b wouldn’t keep me happy in the long run, after all there are so many great styles of music why limit yourself to just one. Drum & bass will always be special to me and the backbone of my sound, but ultimately I would love to just be known as a producer of good electronic music and get out of the pigeonhole.
How would you describe your sound? You just had a 12” out on Shogun Audio that shows the new direction… it seems like you’re heavily vibed out on DMZ/Kryptic Minds kind of slow brooding stuff… would that be right to presume?
I am definitely into the DMZ/Kryptic/Headhunter etc. sound and I guess my stuff that’s floating around now draws from that a lot; in a way though it’s just a slowed down version of my 170 sound. I am also very influenced by techno and want to explore the dub techno side of it all a bit more in the future also.
Do you think the energy of 170 bpm music translates into what you’re doing now or is it something completely different?
I personally look at it as very similar music but the fundamental difference is that, with d&b, you have the intense energy and with dubstep you trade that for sonic space. In other words, drum & bass Is the more hyped, and dubstep is the more spacious and detailed side of essentially the same dark deep and sub driven sound palette.
Where do you take inspiration from when making music?
Other great music, new pieces of kit, collaborations and deadlines… I always find it so pretentious when people that make lyric-less music say life etc haha. I wouldn’t know how to turn making a piece of toast in the morning into a hi-hat pattern.
You’ve got a cut, ‘Anything,’ featured on the next Tempa Allstars release. Tell us about that… and how does it feel to be in such esteemed company – Skream, FaltyDL, SBTRKT etc…?
It’s great to see it finally come out; Tempa signed that tune about a year ago now. The whole EP is very much to my liking, its great to be a part of it. And to be on the flip side of what in my opinion is Skream’s baddest tune in a while; ‘Rolling Kicks’ is icing on the cake!
What other projects have you got in the pipeline? What’s happening with you in the rest of 2010? Gigs, releases, personal growth etc?
The big project right now is my debut album forthcoming on Shogun Audio. I’m really close to finishing it and it features d&b, dubstep and techno. Gigs wise, its business as usual. I’m playing dubstep next at Outlook festival the first week of September. When my album is finished I’m going to take a little break from the studio routine make weird music and de-stress for a while.
Tell us a little bit about the mix you turned in for us… What made it so? Are there mad exclusives on there? Etc etc…
Hmm... maybe I was just happy on angel dust. I enjoy doing non-drum & bass mixes though because it’s something I don’t do as much. There are some bits in there definitely. A couple of new and unfinished things by myself some collaboration’s I’ve done and some forthcoming bits by guys like Addison Groove, Untold, Cyrus, Joker D etc.
Over the last couple of years, since the dazzling blast of Ikonika’s ‘Please’ first electrified listeners, the impact of the sort of hyperchromatic fare she’s renowned for putting together has dulled slightly. Its less due to any failings on her part – or on the part of many producers writing tracks within similar regions – than a sense of over familiarity, the deliciously new and alien feel of those early tracks gradually settling down to something approaching a formula. Having said that, out of the many synth driven mutations currently bursting out of dubstep’s cracked exoskeleton Ikonika’s sound retains an intangible brilliance that’s tough to isolate in many of her contemporaries. The muggy, lo-fi feel of her excellent Contact Love Want Have album was a welcome shot of gritty adrenaline, and this follow-up EP on Planet Mu retains many of its traits to much the same effect.
The DCKHDBTCH EP, then, is Ikonika doing what Ikonika does best. Hardly a complaint when what she does is so compulsive, though the tunes here largely fit with the languid flow of the first half of her album than the jet-propelled pace of the final few tracks. The title track will be instantly recognisable to anyone who’s been to see her play in the last year or so, though taken apart from the sheer pace and frenetic energy of her DJ sets it’s a considered move though purple-tinted territory. ‘Ingredients’ is cut from the same cloth, riding off a peculiar broken beat that never really goes anywhere, instead choosing to hang somewhere in space between head and floor. That’s perhaps the one criticism it’s possible to level at the EP – it’s a little tough to figure out where it’s supposed to take you – though as usual her ability to infuse even the most wispy tracks with a real sense of melancholy remains fully intact. Final track ‘Shouldn’t Be Here’ is its real gem then, all muted synth pads and distant vocals over a slow-mo house pulse. It points in an entirely new direction for her music, as it drifts into view and remains for what feels like an all too brief moment before disappearing again.
It’s been pretty hard to ignore the massive expansion in column inches given to the Hotflush label in the last year or so, and certainly since a certain ‘Hyph Mngo’ burst onto the scene. But beyond the obvious big hitters like label boss Scuba, Joy Orbison or Mount Kimbie, the imprint’s success certainly seems to have allowed Paul Rose to branch out further with the artists and sounds he’s supporting. This year, that’s taken the form of a host of special one-offs (tracks like Ation’s wonderful ‘Lover’s Dub’, which crept out with next to no fanfare), but it’s also been seen in the continued output of some of the label’s longer running, but less well-known, artists.
Since the release of his first twelve for the label, ‘Bruised’ b/w ‘Expansions’, in January 2009, James Sigha has been one of its quietest but most prolific sons, putting out three further releases on the Hotflush Two subsidiary since. His latest, the Shake EP, pulls together a typically varied collection of music – the title track is all monochrome, slow and ocean-deep, but ‘Shapes’ is pacier, clocking in somewhere close to that hallowed region where dubstep reaches techno. Its ascetic nature and lack of obvious melodic development has tended to ensure that’s exactly where Sigha’s music tends to be categorised, but over the last year or so it’s felt as though he has finally begun to shed its London exterior to reveal a rapidly pulsing Berlin heart.
They’re certainly a far cry from anything as obvious as build-drop dynamics or catchy vocal hooks, but the four releases he’s clocked up so far have been hypnotically addictive. We caught up with James to find out a little more about how things have been going, and why Sonic Youth still inspire him as much as Marcel Dettmann does.
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who might not know you with a bit of background info?
Sigha: I write music and DJ predominantly under the name Sigha. I’m lucky enough to be part of the Hotflush family, and my last EP dropped on Hotflush Two at the end of May.
Outside of music, who are you? What do you do on the daily?
I don’t really do much outside music to be honest. I still work one day a week, but even that’s in a record shop (London's BM Soho), so it’s literally permeated everything I seem to do. I’m starting to paint to give myself some headspace from it really - its good to be passionate, but to escape sometimes would make me a happier person I think.
An average day for me is waking up mid morning, checking my emails in bed, drinking A LOT of coffee and then heading downstairs into the studio. If things are going well in there, that’s where I’ll stay for the majority of the day. If not, I might head out to a gallery, watch a film, read a book, just try and pick up some inspiration really.
You’ve said before that you originally started off playing in bands. What changed your perspective and led to you start making dance music?
I generally don’t find working with other people very easy. The collaboration process itself can be great, especially if you’re writing with a friend, but I think that often the end product is watered down in terms of the original concept, and keeping that pure is something that’s very important to me. When I first started experimenting with electronic music, I was really inspired by the fact that it was just me and a computer, there was no one there to tell me this wouldn’t work, or if I did that it would sound bad. That was really key in shifting my emphasis towards dance music. I could write a whole track by myself, and so was totally free to be as self-indulgent as I liked. At the same time I was going to a lot of warehouse parties at the weekends, and I was hearing sounds I’d never heard before, or at least not in that context. All this came together at the right time and I just fell in love with it as a way of making music.
How did your experience in bands translate across into electronic music? Do you enjoy the difference in process between playing in a band and making music by yourself?
Um, it’s really different. I don’t have to run my ideas past anyone else first, which like I say is a major plus. It’s probably given me an insight into music, both the creative process and sound itself, which I probably wouldn’t have had if I’d started out writing electronica/dance music. I’m fairly solitary, so over all it suits me well.
I do really miss playing live with other people though, the connection you get when you’re jamming and it’s going well is incredible. I miss that a lot. At some point soon I really want to work on a live project.
Do you think that your music as Sigha still takes influence or inspiration from the non-electronic stuff you listen to?
I think so - more obviously in terms of what drives me creatively though, rather than the sound pallet. I listen to bands like My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division and Sonic Youth on a daily basis, more so than any single electronic artist probably. I’m sitting in my kitchen listening to Sonic Youth's 'Daydream Nation' right now. There’s so much raw energy and power, combined with moments of really intense beauty, in what they have done over the years. If I can translate even a small amount of that into what I’m trying to do I’ll be really happy.
What’s your production set-up like?
That would be telling! But it’s nothing too exciting I promise. I’m a big believer in the idea that 'its not what you use, its what you do with it.' I suppose given that I should have no problems revealing all, but I reckon a little bit of mystery is good.
“for me the best music seems to do nothing at all, but somehow manages to hold your attention for its duration.”
There’s a lot of Berlin in your music, but there’s also a lot of London in there. How have the sounds of those two cities inspired your music?
I’ve lived in London all my life, so part of that is always going to be lurking in what I do somewhere. It’s got a great history for music and is a real melting pot of different sounds, so it’s been really inspiring growing up here musically. I think though that I’ve become a little numb to it, just through over familiarity... It’s easy to take what you’ve got for granted. In terms of electronic music, drum ‘n’ bass, garage and dubstep are sounds that run deep here, and they've definitely moved me.
Having said all that, I feel more at home musically in Berlin these days. There’s an amazing creative vibe in the city that’s incredibly inspiring. I suppose it’s because the cheap cost of living has encouraged a kind of artist migration over there. So much great music has come out of that city over the years, and the place itself is magic. East Berlin feels like it’s in this state of slow dilapidation, there’s a sense that everything is decaying which is very beautiful to me.
Marcel Dettmann’s just remixed one of your tracks, and there’s obviously some influence from the Berghain school of techno in your sound. I presume you’ve been to the Berghain - did the club itself and hearing techno in that kind of environment change your perspective on your music?
Berghain seems to be at the center of this revival in techno at the moment. It’s brought together some very talented likeminded artists and DJs, which has been really important to give people a focal point I think. Before I’d even been to Berghain, I already had a very strong impression of what it was and what it would be like inside. They've created a really powerful brand with the club, which is definitely helped by the no photos rule and strict door policy. Everything about it seems to go hand-in-hand with the music it represents, which only serves to heighten the experience for a techno lover. I don’t think there’s another club in the world you can get quite so lost in both figuratively and literally. I was listening to, playing and writing techno before I visited the club, but hearing Dettmann play for four hours at eight in the morning was a real eye opener for me. Obviously his sets are legendary, but it was the crowd that really blew me away. The place was packed and full of energy on Sunday lunchtime - that isn’t something you can find in the UK week-in-week-out. That really made me think, ‘I’m in the wrong city’.
Your sound is really stripped back and lean, with little in the way of obvious melodic development. Is that a style you specifically aim for, or is it just the way it seems to come out?
I’m not a big fan of anything too obvious in music. I try to create soundscapes that are really immersive and that the listener can really get lost in. For me, when I write and listen, music is about introspection, and big melodies always seem to get in the way of that. Development of a track in general is something I’m really particular about - for me the best music seems to do nothing at all, but somehow manages to hold your attention for its duration. I suppose that’s what I’m aiming for. There is something in UK bass-oriented club music that is very extrovert, from the way the tracks are constructed, with huge emphasis on the impact of the drop, to the individual sounds used. I’m fairly introverted and have always like my music 'eyes down' so to speak, so that comes out in my own tracks I guess.
Your tracks, especially the slower ones like ‘Rawww’ and ‘Shake’, have that weird ability techno has to put people into a trancelike, dreamlike state. Is conveying that sort of mood something you consciously work towards?
Music is a really powerful thing. I just mentioned the UK’s obsession with impact, and that in itself can deliver a huge buzz when it’s done right. But personally I love the otherworldly feeling that good techno or house can bring. Repetitive rhythms actually cause your brain to produce serotonin - and what’s more repetitive than a four-four beat, right? To immerse yourself completely in the music and the feeling of hundreds of people around you sharing this experience is truly amazing. So yes, after all that, it’s definitely something I bear in mind while writing. Maybe it’s the most important thing, in fact.
You obviously have a connection with dubstep and garage, especially in your earlier Hotflush releases, but recently the techno and house influences in your sound seem to have moved further to the fore. Has that been an intentional shift?
Since my first release with Hotflush I think that it’s been a really natural move from one side of the dubstep/techno divide to the other for me. ‘Bruised’, for instance, was totally influenced by a Dettmann track specifically that I was playing again and again at the time. I couldn’t find anything that was 'dubstep' but had that same vibe, so I tried to write what I was looking for. People seemed to pick up on those influences and noticed the Berlin references in the track. Now with tunes like ‘Rawww’ and ‘Shake’ the tempos dropped, and they are both out-and-out techno tracks, but people have pointed out UK dubstep and garage influences throughout both of those tunes.
I think I’ll always have that connection to dubstep and garage in my sound - as I mentioned earlier, living in London it’s hard not to - but Sigha has grown very organically into a techno project. To start writing dubstep (whatever that is now) or garage would feel like a step back rather than forward. That’s not taking anything away from either of these styles at all, I mean in terms of my own personal development. I’m still writing dubstep under a different alias, and I’m going to be pushing that more over the next twelve months.
What are you listening to/watching/reading/etc at the moment that’s really inspiring you?
I’ve been reading a lot of Ernest Hemingway and Christopher Isherwood recently. They both have a beautifully simple and engaging style of writing. I’m a massive fan of sci-fi, Philip K Dick particularly. 'Valis' is one of my favourite books of all time. I’ve just re-read Ian Bank's 'The Wasp Factory' as well. I think in terms of books, film, art etc, I like things that make me think differently.
I’ve become a bit obsessed with watching physics documentaries right now. I’ve always been awful at science, and have no idea what they are talking about; but that’s what I love about it, that sense that there are these huge fundamentals that are just out of my reach. It’s a feeling that’s really hard to put into words, but that is what inspires me more than anything.
Your music’s got quite a cinematic feel – are you influenced by films at all?
Totally, films like Solaris or The Fountain, that again seem to suggest something intangible just out of sight, or are really, really depressing, haha. Something like Requiem for a Dream for instance - it’s so dark and bleak, but intensely beautiful as well. I don’t know where I’m getting that sense of beauty from, everyone I’ve spoken to about this seems to think I’m nuts, but to me it’s a heart-wrenchingly beautiful film.
More so than most other labels, Scuba seems to have pulled together an incredibly diverse but very like-minded set of musicians on Hotflush. When I spoke to Dom Kimbie about it the other week he described it as being more of a movement than a label. It must be inspiring to be a part of such an exciting musical community?
Yeah, I think he’s hit the nail on the head there really. It’s a really great thing to be a part of, I feel very lucky and proud, but it can feel pretty intimidating too! Mount Kimbie, those guys are so talented it’s crazy. To be on a roster alongside guys like that, Scuba, Joy Orbison, it’s pretty intense. I feel really lucky that Paul’s got such an open mind too. You mentioned earlier how my sound has developed over the last year and a half - I doubt that I would have had the scope to push out in the direction I wanted to on many other labels. He’s built a great thing in the label, and I feel blessed to be a small part of it!
What projects have you got in the pipeline for the future? Any imminent things coming up?
The main project I’m working on right now is the launch of my own label, 'Our Circula Sound.' The first release will be out in August, with a Dettmann remix of my own 'Early Morning Lights' and a new track by myself called 'Over The Edge' on the flip. The site is still in development but should be up soon, so keep checking www.ourcirculasound.com if you’re interested. I’ve got some big things planned for the imprint, so watch this space basically!
Apart from that I’ve just finished a remix for Commix's Re:Call To Mind LP on Metalheadz, and am working on more for Kevin Gorman’s Microwave label and Echochord. I’m starting to think about a larger scale Sigha project as well, and planning the next few 12”s.
Keeping busy, basically…
Any words of wisdom for our readers?
Stay true to yourself, Do what makes you happy. And buy my music.
Seems like German record label !K7 have been commissioning some really insightful remixes of Jimmy Edgar to promote the release of his new album 'XXX' as fresh of the back of the Machinedrum rework we posted on last month they've dropped us the Instra:mental rework to give away.
Instra:mental of course are a duo of producers pushing the deep, spacious half time drum & bass through their NonPlus label and their heavily analog take on dubstep tempoed music released on respected labels like Apple Pips and [nakedlunch]. Reportedly the final 2 'layers' in their and dBridge's Autonomic podcast series are due imminently too - keep an eye on http://club-autonomic.com for those to drop.
The latest release on Mala’s Deep Medi imprint is a four track double pack from one of their finest new signings V.I.V.E.K. It comes on the back of his first Medi release last year ‘Kulture’ b/w ‘Meditation Rock’ and countless dubplates that you’ll no doubt have heard if you’ve checked the Anti Social Entertainment on Rinse FM. Fusing digidub, soundsystem deep bass, rolling percussion, a hint of Berlin techno it all adds up to those ‘Medi’ style vibes; eyes down, blissed out, heavy weight music.
The title track, ‘Feel It’ kicks things off in fine style with some of the most infectious rolling tablas - his percussion is just sublime. A vocal sample declaring the weight of your bass and the largeness of your soundsystem is all the track needs to usher in a chest thumping sub sonic bass tone and there is no way back you’re sucked into that soup of sub bass frequencies. ‘Grandfather Clock’ counts down to a dance floor meltdown when the metronome-like sample, half tempo drum patterns and hefty bass melts into blazing techno buzzes that just keep coming, it’s those killer synths that make it, truly coming from nowhere.
The deeply blissful ‘Motherland’ is one for the meditative crew, subtle but weighty bass pulses roll off half stepping rhythms, tablas and all that good stuff all accented with Indian vocals instrumentation. It’s so deep, minimal it would make Youngsta proud. The final track ‘Strategy’ is a roller with a garage kind of swing to it, it skips along with big room dub techno chords twisting in and out of the bumpy beats it really comes alive and picks up the pace.
Sonic Router contributor Rory Gibb has taken the reigns over at the respected music portal, Drowned In Sound, this week, putting together a series of articles on a decade of dubstep. Already featuring an interview with FaltyDL, and opinion pieces documenting the rise of Skull Disco and the scene in general he's put together a mix chronicalling the genesis of our main squeeze.
After releasing singles on imprints like Rwina and Numbers, Birmingham based producer SRC has this week dropped the Ryouko EP on the No Hats No Hoods label. Flicking from the oriental strings of the title track, which capitalises on that stone cold boom bap groove present in Joker's earlier work, he lilts out the electronic funk on 'Quarterback Circle' and 'Switch Up' working in a vein similar to Terror Danjah, i.e. incredibly prolifically. Nestling perfectly amongst the new wave of ultra melodic grime that powers the beat out under the torrent of synths, he's adept at infusing those primitive 8 bit melodies that made early computer gaming such a hypnotizing experience, into his work.
With his youtube demonstration videos providing a unique insight into his methods in the studio we caught up with him, shot him our semi tailored generic questionnaire and scooped our 52nd exclusive Sonic Router mix.
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
SRC: Yeah, I’m a producer/DJ from Birmingham, UK. I’ve been making beats for about 6 years. Recently put out two EPs (Gold Coinz & Goin’ Out). Just about to release the third, Ryouko EP on No Hats No Hoods.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
Apart from the regular stuff like chilling out with friends & work etc, there’s no real “outside of music” for me. I’m making/listening to/thinking about music most of the time and tend to fit anything else around that.
How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do so?
I first got into making music after being into garage/early grime. I was always listening to the pirate stations in Birmingham. Got “music 2000” on PS2 to try and make my own beats. Eventually got a PC and carried on from there.
What’s your production set up like? What’s your favourite bit of kit in the studio?
I’m always buying and selling bits of equipment but right now it’s at its most basic. A standard PC, a pair of studio monitors, a mixer and a MIDI keyboard. The MIDI is my favourite though, it’s an M-audio Axiom that I’ve had for years.
How would you describe your sound? You share a brashy kind of computer grime influence thing with people like Swindle etc…
It’s hard to describe in brief, but my current stuff I just think of as a type of instrumental grime. A lot of my tracks are influenced by retro games because I really like the way the melodies were constructed. They’re memorable and fun and that’s what I try to bring out in my own stuff.
How did you get into this current flux of dubstep?
I think it was just the support from DJs other than the specialist grime ones. Having DJs like Oneman, Mary Anne Hobbs, Jackmaster etc maybe made my tracks more accessible to people who don’t particularly check for grime as a whole.
Your YouTube beat tapes really interest me. Like you make the process look so simple. What made you start doing them? What’s the thinking behind them? Like just to show the layers and different sounds?
The beat videos are just my fun, most don’t end up finished but I enjoy doing them. I always thought the process of making a beat is as interesting as the end product and decided to do some videos.
I mainly did sampled ones on the MPD because I find I can get them done quickly in comparison with my grime beats and they came out more entertaining to watch.
Where do you take inspiration from when making music?
It’s hard to say, I guess I’m inspired by everything in a way. If I’m lacking ideas or have a block I’ll normally listen to some Chinese folk music, reggae, old grime sets, and game soundtracks or anything to give me a good vibe.
You’ve got/had records on Numbers/Rwina/Butterz and your next release comes out shortly on No Hats No Hoods. What’s the deal, what can we expect from the release?
This release is a one I’m really happy with. The title track 'Ryouko' is a one of my personal favourite tracks so I’m glad I got to bring it out, it’s different to any of my other tracks so far as it has the Japanese folk influence.
'Quarter-circle back, kick' (Quarterback circle) is in a similar vein to Goin' Out but twice as excited and 'Switch Up' is a really fun grime beat. Anyone that liked the last two EPs should enjoy this one just as much.
What other projects have you got in the pipeline? What’s happening with you in the rest of 2010? Gigs, releases, personal growth etc?
The next thing will be my track, 'Goomba VIP' which will be a part of the 'Quality Street EP' which also features Terror Danjah, Mr Mitch & Royal-T. Apart from that I’m working on more tracks for release and just playing out more. It’s been such a good year so far I’m just looking forward to working twice as hard for the rest of it.
Tell us a little bit about the mix you turned in for us… I mean you said on twitter it was one of the most fun ones you’ve done. What made it so? Are there mad exclusives on there? Etc etc…
Yeah I enjoyed doing this mix a lot; it’s the 1st mix I’ve done with that many of my own tracks in.
It’s not really filled with exclusives but features some of my favourite tracks from people like Spooky, Royal-T and Kavsrave. I think their tracks all compliment mine even though they all sound so different.
It’s also a good representation of the tracks I’ve been playing out live recently.
The latest edition of the Sonic Router opinion column on theQuietus focuses on Joe who has to date released music on Hessle Audio and Apple Pips...
First releasing 'Grimelight' b/w 'Rut' on the closely watched Hessle Audio in April of last year, the unknown Joe - and his efficient command of stylistically brutal percussion, minimal arrangements, thick sub bass and subtle strokes of melody – has taken over a year to provide a follow up. In the last six weeks or so, though, he has hit out with a quickly succeeded duo of platters: an untitled piece backed with 'Digest' for Appleblim's Bristol based Apple Pips label and his DJ tool-come-party-starter 'Claptrap' b/w 'Level Crossing' for Hessle. Thankfully each piece he's released has been worth the prolonged silence, jumping out from the off with stuttering drum lines and or a sense of groove that's now recognisably his: a playful yet mature exploration of unadulterated percussion and minimal sound colouration.- Oli Marlow
Twisting up genres with spectacular ease - both in their productions and in their mixes for sites like Monday Jazz - we’ve been intrigued by the Russian duo Demokracy since we were sent a couple of clips of Starkey dropping some of their tunes on his Sub FM show back in June. With an EP release forthcoming on Doshy’s Robox Neotech imprint - a package that fuses bastard hip hop with anything and everything from digitized squiggles to plump sawtooth bass lines - we got super excited after learning they shared our penchant for the classic Anticon era and Doseone’s manic wordplay, so we asked them to put together a mix.
The happy making thing is: these two near anonymous dudes from Siberia absolutely smacked it...
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
Demokracy: We are Stas (aka Hmot) and Albert (aka Damscray). We write tunes together and live in the middle of nowhere.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
Well we work at the spheres you may call ‘creative’ but it’s too dull to talk about it. So we’re just two guys who like to play board games, drink beer, read sci-fi novels or something like that. To be honest we don’t like to talk much about ourselves.
How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do so?
We’ve been involved into music production since a very long time ago but as for our Dmkrcy project, well… it was just curious to play with various sounds - you know, to share some ideas, thoughts and all that shit with each other. And though we have a very similar musical tastes our points of view are often diverse and it’s very infectious - brings a new challenge every single day.
What’s your production set up like? What’s your favourite bit of kit in the studio?
Oh it’s just a bunch of old crap including a couple of laptops, two b-stock turntables and some toys like midi-controllers, samplers, even a cute vintage Casio synthesizer. Also we have a mixer that looks like a Soviet nuclear bunker and it’s a bit creepy. We call it Stalin.
Where do you take inspiration from when making music?
Most of the inspiration comes from classic sci-fi novels and movies – each tune has its own background but it’s not very engrossing story to tell you about. And as we listen to an enormous amount of really divergent music – from retro movies’ soundtracks and psychedelic/kraut rock to jazz, death metal, hip hop, modern bass music and beyond – it helps too.
What’s the thinking behind the Demokracy moniker?
All we can say is that at the very beginning it was a bit longer but then our good friend advised us to shorten it so it’s hard to say that it has a deep philosophical meaning or something like that. Quite a poor story, yeah?
Demokracy – Wintermute
How would you describe your sound? I mean your mix for us jumps from Eleven Tigers to Doshy to Burial and Roll Deep. Would you say that your tastes are eclectic? Do you put that into your own music?
The main concept of our production is plain – the tune shouldn’t be too boring. We always try to use alot of various synths, beat patterns, all that sampled crap and just LOVE to switch between different genres or change the whole mood for at least 2-3 times per track. That’s why we don’t really like these shitloads of the dance music tunes having exactly the same loops repeat again and again and again and again. It might work at the dancefloor but it’s too lifeless. And we’re trying to adhere to the same rules when we mix.
Personally I love that you included Bleubird. Under rated imo. Plus the Anticon connect. That’s a big part of my music history right there. How did you discover dubstep?
Actually we met through Siberian underground hip-hop scene where every single person adores such MCs like Doseone, Bleubird, Buck65 or Sole – they’re really great and the lyrics are ridiculous (though we’ve had some problems with understanding a huge part of their bizzare word constructions because of our poor English, lol). And when the local scene successfully died we just switched to a totally different direction.
You come from Russia right? What’s the scene like for this kind of music out there? How do you keep up? Got any tips?
Russia’s got a number of genuinely good producers but most of them just have no reason to carry on production or the opportunity to breakthrough. The situation is pretty ugly because almost all of the peeps just don’t care or have an extremely poor musical taste and that’s why we have lots of miserable DJs playing pirate mp3s or shitty rappers on huge stadiums with 50.000 people attending while guys like Untold playing in empty venues. Our country is a joke.
Your got releases forthcoming on the Robox Neotech imprint. Can you shed a bit of light on the label? What’s the style, who runs it? How did you hook it up? Tell us what people can expect from your release too…
Well, Robox is a fresh label based in Berlin, Germany. It’s focused mainly on up-and-coming bass producers like Powell, NastyNasty or Zet and all the promos we heard for 2010-2011 are really sick. We were asked by Dominic (Doshy, who runs it) if we could do a release for Robox so here’s an EP coming later this year and it will consist of four tracks with remixes from our fam plus a very special guest. We’re happy with the result and very excited of how it will be acclaimed by the public.
What other projects have you got in the pipeline? What’s happening with you in the rest of 2010?
There also will be a digital single and heaps of remixes for our friends and fam. And we feel very good about having a track on sick compilation by Serbian label Svetlana Industries coming very soon – such guys like Teebs, 1000names and lots more are involved too. Actually we have a lot of plans but it’s too early to talk about it right now.
The recently refreshed and newly vibrant R&S Records – they who released James Blake’s breakout ‘CMYK’ recently – are housing the second release from London based Scot, Pariah. Having been vocal fans and supporters (DL his Sonic Router mix here) since we first heard ‘Detroit Falls’ b/w ‘Orpheus’ at the tail end of last year the new EP is a welcome listen as Pariah displays the breadth of his tastes, flexing his production muscles in all directions from tribal roll outs and deep house textures to tweaked hip hop and ambience.
Percussive roller ‘The Slump’ drops hard from tribal accented beats into an almighty bass pulse that would make Untold and Ramadanman proud. Eski-like beats stomp under the building layers of percussion and bass weight until a release comes in the form of melodic soulful vocal samples and twilight pads. Like a garage cousin of Rishi Romero’s 'African Forest' in a head on collision with Pulse-X and a healthy does of melancholic melody; it’s a big one. With its deep and housey vibes ‘Prism’ is a welcome addition to the front end of the EP, where the dance floor is more of an obvious target. It’s a subtle number mind, keeping it close with a tight and bumpy percussive roll; synth’s refract and spin off in different directions over building wide screen pads.
The late night vibes of ‘Railroad’ take things down to nice and blissful as Pariah excels at a slower more bump laden tempo. He merges that awkward hip hop vibe with a slinky garage bump with ease; its like you’re stuck on a bus mid summer, heavy with sweat with no hope of getting to where you got to go on time. Sweeping melodies with an emotional pull get pushed into shape by deep bass and junglist breaks before it all melts into field recordings and the next track ‘Crossed Out’ which takes off where ‘Prisim’ left but with a rattling garage bump more prominet.
The final two tracks see Pariah in atmospheric mode, first up is ‘C - Beams’ where he harnesses his inner Dilla, which he kets stutter out under field recordings, bittersweet soundtrack pianos and computer game lilted funk. Things go deeper still with atmospheric drones on the closing track ‘Safehouses’, its almost reminiscent of GAS in some ways, its layers of sound wrapping itself around your ears before it engulfs you in a bed of looping tones. ‘Safehouses’ is a varied and solid EP with enough range and scope to keep the dancefloor working; though its real strength lies in its diversity and range of flavours and styles on offer.
Ahead of the release of Songs For Endless Cities, his first ever official mix CD - and the inaugural mix in a brand new series being released at the end of August on the !K7 Records affiliated imprint, Cool In The Pool - Blunted Robots co-owner, Rinse FM DJ and all round face, Brackles, is offering out a free download of 'Blo,' the exclusive track taken from the compilation.
Jumping from Flying Lotus, through Zomby, Roska and his Blunted Robots counterparts Martin Kemp and DJ Dom the mix features some huge releases from this year included 2562's 'Dinosaur,' Deadboy's 'IfUWantMe' and something of a signature Brackie Fudge jam, Dorian Concept's 'Trilingual Dance Sexperience.' Basically it is well worth your attention.
Hyetal has remained one of Bristol’s most underrated – or at least underexposed – producers. While many from the city’s sizeable musical community have been making real waves over the last couple of years, with highly acclaimed singles and albums from the likes of Peverelist, Guido and Joker gaining attention among a wider audience, his music has tended to remain steadfastly below the radar. Which is perhaps a little surprising, given that it’s among the most richly melodic, thoughtful and downright soulful dance music currently being made. ‘The Last Time We Spoke’ was among my favourite releases of last year, and the hip-hop infused ‘Pixel Rainbow Sequence’ is a more than worthy match of anything the purple trio have yet committed to tape.
Hopefully his latest release should launch his star that little bit higher. It’s commonplace for bloggers to rant about everything coming out of the post-dubstep milieu as ‘next level’, but there really has been very little released recently with anywhere near the flair for melodic invention Hyetal displays on this EP for Snugfelix’s Orca Recordings. It’s the same tricksy, simple-yet-effective grasp of dynamics and musicality he brought to the tracks on his excellent collaborative twelve with Shortstuff – unashamedly larger-than-life, both sonically and emotionally, but never overblown. ‘Like Silver’ thrives off the same frosty calm as ‘We Should Light A Fire’, building from drifting pads into a driving, Hotflush-esque house/garage hybrid, avoiding the thrill of an explosive climax for something less tangible and far more beautiful.
That said, if ‘Like Silver’ is a lit touchpaper slowly consumed by its own flames, ‘Phoenix’ is the resulting atomic explosion, a rebirth that bursts into shards of a thousand colours. In the mix it dwarfs everything else around it, like lying on the ground staring at the millions of stars in space, and it’s certainly the finest thing he’s ever put his name to. Have the rewind ready for this one, because it bears repeating. A lot.
"...I just don’t think there’s anything more righteous than a heavy brass section really."
Read the Sonic Router penned interview with Night Slug's prog monolith Mosca over on the fabric Blog and download his epic 80 minute mix, made in promotion of his upcoming date at fabric on the 6th August for Club Autonomic.
Blawan - Potchla Vee [Unreleased] Rubi Dan - Pelvic Floor (Acapella) [Unreleased] Mosca - Tilt Shift [Forthcoming Fat City] Deamonds - Tilt Shift Crooks [Unreleased] Keke Palmer - Super Jerkin' Equinoxx - Infantry Riddim (Version) T'Nez - Normal Day (Infantry Riddim) Kemikal - Hear Mi Nuh (Infantry Riddim) Navino - Put It On (Infantry Riddim) Terre Thaemlitz - Radio Freedom Ramadanman - Grab Somebody [Unreleased] G.O.D Limited – Bounce Kismet - Loose Screw [Unreleased] DJ Deekline & Red Polo - Let It Bump (Hydroz Remix) Menta - Sounds Of Da Future Braiden - The Alps [Forthcoming Doldrums] Seany B - Bass Release DJ Technics - Hoody Hood Rat Riva Starr – Maria Funkystepz - Leave With You [Unreleased] Dwongo Lab - 60 Seconds Pariah - Crossed Out Ramadanman & Midland - More Than You Know Alison Hinds - Roll It Gal (Acapella) Doc Daneeka - Hold On [Forthcoming Ramp] T Williams - Drumstrumental [Unreleased] Imran Khan – Amplifier Frankie Bones – Beware J2K Ft Roses Gabor - Don't Let It Go [Unreleased] Mosca - Brand New Polaroid Loefah - Fire Elements Jaimeson - Urban Hero Darqwan – Confused Tubby vs Footsie - Tiger Style Joe – Digest JME Ft Tempz - CD Is Dead (Acapella) Youngstar - The Formula TRC Ft Z.O & Bonez - Bang (DJ Q Remix) [Unreleased] General LOK - Elmo Riddem CRST - Dance (Mosca Remix) [Forthcoming No Hats No Hoods]
