RECOMMENDED: Becoming Real – Closer/Antarctic City [Cold World Industries]

Toby Ridler’s combination of stark glacial melodic spikes and rolling drum play are indicative of someone who’s embroiled in their own world. Sure, ‘Closer’ – the A side of the first release on his freshly minted Cold World Industries label - shares a sample pack with Addison Groove and Pearson Sound, but is the cerebral swirl sitting behind the relative simplicity of the repetitive lead line that sets him apart from other producers. Like his last release, the Not Even backed Spectre EP, ‘Closer’ is more like grime - playing out like a hypermelodic devil mix that’s been peppered by an over enthusiastic finger drummer – and that rawness displayed is probably the most interesting thing about the Becoming Real project.

You could call it Eski influenced. You could call it juke influenced, but Ridler’s work stands apart - the over-riding elements at play here are the tapestries that the ice cold synthesizers weave in your mind. Like the densely layered work of El-P on Cannibal Ox’s game changing The Cold Vein album, ‘Antarctic City’ is more of a tumble down production, almost regimented by the kick drums and jarring snare drums that sit back from the headroom of the mix just enough to make you really concentrate on them. Its beguiling; almost anti dancefloor but completely pro trance (in terms of the faraway mindstate kind of spiritual trance), smothered in stark layers and snatched vocals, shifting up a gear into something danceable with a proper snare at around the 3 minute mark.

Jam City’s refix of ‘Closer’ re-positions the track for the darkest of dancefloors, with the Night Slug keeping the menace of the original but transporting the focus of it to the bassline whilst he ups the snare quota a million percent. That threat and sense of brooding is perfectly translated into a Jam City-house-tempo-roller. It’s the flag in the summit of Becoming Real’s third EP, a stark and brash marriage that’s tortured itself purely for its own benefit.

Words: Oli Marlow // Out: Now

READ: Trap Magazine #003

The third edition of bass music magazine Trap - the one that this site's editor scribes features for - is back from the printers and out now. Featuring an SR penned article on Pearson Sound's club night, Acetate, you can catch one in your local store/venue shortly (check facebook.com/trapmagazine for a list of stockists).

Other great features in this issue include P Money, Icicle and Breakage, and luckily, in this age of optimum digitalisation you can preview the issue via the widget below.

Seek a physical copy out though, the paper quality really is awesome.

INTERVIEW: Royal T [Butterz]

Grime has been finding its feet again recently. Whilst the pop charts have been under an onslaught of 4x4 electro house beats with emcees riding the pulse, the underground roughness has always been there, bubbling under the surface and exploding out in peaks. Making some incredibly notable noise right about now a new wave of producers are coming through and taking back the scene; sounding fierce and releasing physical product. It’s all pretty refreshing to see the coverage the resurgence is getting with players like Butterz crew Elijah & Skilliam leading the charge from the regular slots on Rinse FM.

Releasing music on the Butterz imprint is Southampton based producer, Royal T. He caught a lot of people’s attention last year with his beat ‘1UP’ on No Hats No Hoods, a track that samples Nintendo’s pixelated flagbearer Mario, had a top quality vocal by P Money and even got spat on by Dizzee Rascal live on radio. After releasing a couple of other soundsystem heaters like ‘Beat Fighter’ and his ‘Hot Ones Remix’ he’s about to roll out the Orangeade EP on Butterz.

Bringing the rave back to grime T is taking his sound back to the dancefloor rather than the mixtape, putting down his gaming controllers and making some hyped-up-funk-infused grime beats that hit hard. With other remixes floating around for the likes of TRC and Wiley, that have a serious flex to them, building heavily on the garage vibe, he’s proving that he’s no one trick pony, showing he’s adept at tackling different approaches with vigour.

We caught up with Royal T, grabbing the chance to premiere his new ‘Special Stage Mix’ (aka Sonic Router Mix #65) as we did it...

Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from what do you get up to on the daily?

I'm Mark Taylor, also known as Royal-T and I’m a Grime producer from Southampton, England. I can't swim, I’ve never watched a Star Wars or Lord of the rings film in my life, I love my football, my beer and I will kick your arse at FIFA if need be.

What got you into grime in the first place?

This question's always hard for me to answer because I always struggle to think of a definitive moment. I feel like I’ve been listening to grime all my life. My earliest memories of listening to it was from stealing random garage and Sidewinder tape packs from my brother’s bedroom when he was out - also I was one of the first people in my primary school class to have the first So Solid Crew album, I walked into the playground thinking I was some gangster. I took the typical garage into grime journey of listening before really understanding what grime even was. I was always that 'go to guy' for all the grime music at school on our Nokia's sending random tunes through bluetooth.

How did you get into making music, did you jump right into grime beats or have you dabbled elsewhere?

My Uncle gave my brother and me a copy of Fruity Loops 3 when we first got our computer. I've never been musically trained or anything, I didn't take up music for my GCSEs so I've basically orchestrated everything I’ve ever made just from ear. I've been making grime beats ever since I started. There's been times in the past where I might have experimented with tempo or styles but even those tunes had that grime influence.

What’s your production set-up like?

I just make and mix down tunes in my bedroom. The process from bedroom into bedroom/studio started from when I got a part time job. I saved up to buy some big monitor speakers, a MacBook, some decks and everything else and that's all I’ve been doing since. I installed Windows on my MacBook and use that side just for Fruity Loops. My Dad and me constructed some little workspace for myself with everything I need on it. I bought a double bed recently and now I practically have no walking space in my room at all. It's all good though, it's for the music but I no longer have any space for activities (step-brother’s joke).

How do you go about laying a track down?

Most of the time I have an idea or an influence in my head already, so I’ll try to put that into Fruity like putting ideas from pen to paper and then just go from there. It's just like finishing a painting by colouring over a drawing I’ve made. The time it takes for me to finish a track varies but it means I can come back to the project a few days later with completely fresh ideas. On the new Fruity you can see how long you've spent on a project and most my projects average out at about 8 hours when finished now. That does includes all the time for mix downs and for all the time I’m not even making the tune and just browsing the internet or playing Football Manager with Fruity Loops open.

Where are you getting your inspiration from right now?

I'm only really going through old CDs I’ve found in my house at the moment, like loads of old school garage compilations, Oxide and Neutrino's first album and a lot of Mike Skinner's material. My mum even came and sat down with me the other day when I was making a tune, telling me the bits she did and didn't like. She's my greatest critic; she'll tell me if she doesn't like a song I’m making. A good indication of knowing whether she likes a tune or not is that if she ain't dancing to the beat when she comes in the room, hoovering or cleaning, it's probably not that good.



You’re really bringing back that skippy ravey grime vibe with a load of your tracks, there are some garage influences creeping in, some nice 8-bar switch ups and some tough twisted drops. Is it something that you thought was missing when you first started making beats?

Yeah in the last couple of years I felt that there really was a lack of danceable or club standard grime tunes about, it’s just iPod music for teenagers - nothing really musically stood out and everything was about the MC and his mixtape. To breakthrough as a producer it used to be all about how many vocals you could rack up. Due to my location this was nearly impossible for me because I could hardly meet MCs or be introduced to anyone as I literally came in the scene on my ones. The only people who would listen to me and my music were DJs. So I was making music for them to play and I adapted my sound to something no one else really was making at the time. I took a bit of a shortcut but it paid off eventually.

Your new EP, Orangeade, is out right now; tell us a bit about those tracks...

‘Orangeade’ is just me having complete fun with grime without having to parade it as dubstep or ‘trap music’ in disguise. I just made the grime I think we all used to and still do love to hear. I made ‘1UP,’ ‘Hot Ones,’ my ‘Air Bubble Remix’ [original by Terror Danjah] all with the same vibe. It was my sort of statement to the scene about us nearly forgetting our sound. ‘Orangeade’ came about because Teddy mentioned on Twitter that 'the best grime tune around at the moment is Gucci Mane's ‘Lemonade’ instrumental.' I just thought 'eff this' and ‘Orangeade’ was born.

Your remix of TRC’s ‘Oo Aa Ee’ is too much, what made you go for that garage flex? It’s a pretty interesting meeting of minds when a bassline producer makes a grime beat then a grime producer flips it into a garage track...

Thank you. Well, DOK made a really good grime remix so me making another grime remix wasn't really going to achieve anything. At that time I’d been making loads of garage drum patterns, messing around with swing and thin cut drums. Now, going on with what I was saying about the grime sound progression, I notice that people are starting to clock and re use the 2-step formula which I’m completely happy with, but I’m just enjoying doing the complete opposite every time. I like to think people attach music to memories so I want to make tracks that not only make you nod your head, but take you on a little journey at the same time.

You’ve had some bangers with the OGz (P Money, Blacks, Little Dee, etc), ‘Hot Ones’ and ‘1 Up’ where big ones for me. You’ve got some good chemistry together. What’s it like working with them and have you got more in the works with those guys?

I've been in contact with Blacks for a while now. He was the first well known MC to really listen to what I had to offer musically and he stuck by me. My first time having anything played on Logan Sama's show was a Blacks vocal. I had only spoken to P Money once or twice before he vocalled ‘1UP’ and I’m so pleased to see him go further, he deserves it. We both have the same ideas and focus on how we want our songs to sound like. We have tons of tunes on the way. Otherwise there are plenty of sets you can download with him spitting on my tracks.

What other MCs are you feeling right now?

Someone who has stood out for me recently is Merky Ace. I think he's sick. We have a tune together pending release which should be about soon. He should have a huge year I hope, along with Kozzie and the rest of the MCs that have had a buzz in 2010 and I always look forward to hearing any new MIK material too. I always carry his vocals in my DJing playlists.



Talk to us about Butterz, how did you get involved, what tracks got their attention and what’s it like working with those guys? There seems to be a cool community vibe to it all with producers hooking up for collaborations and remixes all the time.

The first time I ever got any sort of radio play with my music was around 2 to 3 years ago on a University Radio Station by two students who go by the names of… you guessed it, Elijah and Skilliam. They played my old ‘World War 4 Remix’ that I made ages ago. Elijah was the first person I sent ‘1UP’ to and he aired it on radio before anyone else did so I actually owe a lot to them both for their support. I think he still has that e-mail somewhere. We've stayed in contact the whole time exchanging ideas and just working really so it was only right somewhere down the line that we were bound to have some sort of project together. The funny thing is even after a nice 2010 we haven't even got started!

You’ve remixed Yasmin’s ‘On My Own’, it’s got to be one of the first commercial grime remixes to appear in god knows how long. How did that come about and what was it like messing with that kind of music compared to what you’re normally used to?

I was really proud to see the reaction it got by the people on twitter, soundcloud and everywhere as there were some cool names on the other remixes but my track achieved more hits in two days than any of the other remixes did in something like a month. It was great to finally work on a track with a female vocalist officially as I’ve always been too lazy to write tracks with vocalists before. The great thing is I didn't have to change my sound to get it heard. I kept it true to my sound and how I would have liked to make it and its bloody great to see it get recognition from other audiences.

There is a sick mix you’ve done of Wiley’s ‘It’s Wiley’ floating about right now that’s sounding large. You’ve got that garage rhythm going on and a load of cheeky bits that flip old Wiley signifiers back into the mix. How did that all come together?

Elijah got into contact with Prodigal, who did the original, about getting a remix sorted by me and I was a lucky git and got the acapella. I actually started the tune on Christmas day too. Unfortunately Father Christmas didn't bring me anything to keep me occupied that day and there's only so much enjoyment I could get out of Shower Gel and Deodorant combos. I really wanted to push the boundaries again and almost make it a tribute to Wiley and the Eski era. I was listening to a lot of old Wiley sets and the famous Wiley ‘Grimetapes’ collection in preparation where he was spitting on a lot of beats you wouldn't normally hear him on, like some nice old school dark garage, 4x4 and early grime stuff and it had been a while since I’d heard him on anything like that so i thought 'why not?'. It's really set the pace for 2011 for me.

What releases have you got on the horizon?

I've got the ‘Orangeade’ vinyls floating about now and the digital version will be due around the end of January. The Yasmin remix will be getting a release with the original single and the Wiley remix will be getting a full vinyl release scheduled for early February hopefully. Then onto the next few months I have some unreleased Butterz material to unleash and I have a couple of tracks with P Money and Blacks on my hard drive begging to be heard. I cannot wait for everyone to hear them.

Any words of wisdom, for our readers?

Stay focused on what you want to achieve and do whatever it takes to get to your goal. If you want to be able to move forward, sometimes, the simplest way to take the first step is by changing your whole outlook. As soon as you're able to accept that you may not always be right, you'll already be on the right track.

Oh and Nando's is overrated, don't believe the hype.

::

DOWNLOAD: Royal T – Sonic Router Mix #65



Tracklist:

0. Sonic 2 - Emerald Hill Zone
1. Royal-T - Chaos Emerald
2. JME - Shut Up And Dance
3. Royal-T - Shut The Funk Up
4. Royal-T - Bounce
5. Spooky - Spartan (DOK Remix)
6. TRC - Oo Aa Ee (Royal-T Remix)
7. S-X - Woooo Riddim (DJ Q Remix)
8. S-X - Woooo Riddim (Royal-T Remix)
9. D Double E - Bad To The Bone
10. Oxide - Nuff Of Dem Watch Me (Instrumental)
11. Wiley - It’s Wiley (Royal-T Remix)
12. Royal-T - Orangeade VIP
13. Swindle - Mood Swings
14. Yasmin - On My Own (Royal-T Remix)
15. Mr Slash - 1999
16. Royal-T - Royal Rumble
17. The Streets - Skills On Toast

Words: James Balf
Photo: Rob Vanderman

Links:
www.myspace.com/royaltbeats
www.twitter.com/royaltmusic

RECOMMENDED: Royal T – Orangeade EP [Butterz]

With a few strong 12”s already under his belt, including the ‘1UP’ 12” on No Hats No Hoods, Royal T seems to be making all the right moves; ‘Beat Fighter’ and his ‘Hot Ones’ remix have barely left the bag since they dropped. His latest offering, ‘Orangeade,’ has dropped on Butterz, an instrumental grime label run by Rinse FM DJs Elijah & Skilliam. They’ve had a hell of a run lately with beats from TRC and DOK, plus the much called for hard body release of the sublime ‘Wooo Riddim’ by SX, so it’s no surprise that the title track is a forthright, rhythmically skippy grime weapon that bangs hard with enough intensity to keep dance floors alight. Atmospheric pads and synth whines shuffle in and out of the bumpy beats and big bass tones to great effect on the title track; it oozes that typically British vein of hyper-funk that people like Terror Danjah excel in.

‘Whistle Song’ sounds reminiscent of Beatie Boys’ ‘Alive,’ it’s melody makes you want to sing “dip dip dive, so-socialise, open up your ears and clean out your eyes” but it’s probably more like what would happen if Daft Punk drank to many pitchers of orangeade and whipped out on talk-box whilst on a three day tour of Bow, E3. Loosely translated that makes it a banger.

The return of the ‘Devil Mix’ concept is a welcome one, especially when it’s done as well as it is on ‘Music Please’. In the hands of the likes of Zomby, Untold and more recently Logos the beat less version, a more restrained and twisted instrumental - pioneered by Wiley - is an inspired creation. Royal T coins it in here, morphing the hyped up synth leads into a pent up hypnotic gem that just keeps on brooding.

Words: James Balf
Out: Now, direct from Butterz


Royal T – Orangeade featuring OGz (P Money, Lil Dee and Blacks)

Links:
www.butterz.co.uk
http://royaltmusic.tumblr.com

READ: Trap Magazine #002

The 2nd issue of Trap Magazine should be in shops and on streets (not literally, though if it is, pick it up and read it) now. Harbouring an interview, penned by yours truly, with SBTRKT, a chart from Hessle Audio and selector general, Ben UFO, and assorted reviews it also features accomplished interviews with Jammer and Mumdance, Spectrasoul and Logan Sama and more.

You can read it online below, but grab a physical copy if you can. The paper quality is gorgeous.



Link:
www.trapmagazine.co.uk

INTERVIEW: Kaiser & Rory Power, Live From The Hive

Having been invited and involved in Hivemind FM since May of this year it’s easy for me to string together a few sentences on why the combined vision of its creators, Kaiser and Rory Power, is so very relevant to what we do here at Sonic Router. Giving people a platform to represent themselves sonically has become a vital thing to offer in this overtly digital age and, admittedly for us, it’s become way more of a focus for us since we joined the family of shows on the station.

Since then though, the station’s roster has expanded and its dominance on our social network feeds has become irreversible. With new shows from labels like Donky Pitch, Well Rounded, Robox Neotech and so many more the station is now less of a secret and with this interview should be set to become less of a mystery. Sonic Router sat down with the duo behind the hive to discuss the project after the launch of their spanking new web interface and in celebration they put together a mix spanning over 90 minutes and just as many micro genres…

SR: So, I’m super familiar with the concept of the Hive but for all those who might not be, what’s the thinking behind the station/site? Obviously the name suggests people with the same vision feeding off each other for a greater good...

Kaiser: I think that Hivemind has always represented something that transcends any kind of genre divisions or departmentalization in music - it's that feeling you get when you go to other parts of the country, or even other parts of the world and you meet people who seem to be on the same page, despite having different influences and backgrounds. I guess the internet is kind of responsible for this - the record-store-centric musical phenomenons of yesteryear have disappeared to some extent, and we now seem to be in a massive melting pot of sound, where you're not just influenced by the other producers & DJs in your postcode, but people from all over the planet. I like to think that the Hive represents this new approach to thinking about music, and that we're documenting this wild variety in some small way. Ultimately, we see Hivemind as more than just a radio station, but a culture or a collective way of thinking, at least in the future anyway.

What made you want to start it?

K: Haha, like most good ideas, alcohol was certainly a factor. We were sitting around Rory's kitchen table at like four in the morning after a night out, listening to some past mixes (Rory used to have a Murderbot-esque habit of making a mix for every single musical theme that seemed to exist) and we thought to ourselves "we should really put these somewhere online for people to listen to". It then evolved from that into the idea of an internet radio station, with other DJ's who we knew played amazing music getting involved. We were obviously aware of people who were already dominant in the field of web-radio, but felt that none of the big names really represented the story we wanted to tell. All of the other stations seemed to just let anyone have a show, and whilst I’m all for promoting grassroots DJs and giving them their opportunity, we didn't feel like there was anywhere where the 'heads' or the guys who had spent years documenting and understanding music (both its history and its production) were gathered.

Everyone who's on the station today has been invited personally by us, because we're aware of how good they are at what they do. We're really happy to have everyone who's on board at the moment, because they all represent everything we intended the Hive to be.

Can you give us more of an idea what shows are on the station?

Rory Power: Being Bristol based is great for us cause it’s definitely the most forward thinking musical hub outside of London. When we started we searched out the best Bristol selectors and crews which makes up the core of our content, people like notorious rave smashers Shit the Bed, Agro and Bashout regularly represent their sounds and on the deeper end of thing’s UFO, Pollen, Work, I Feel Space & Falling Up cover our love of all things house, disco & funky.

Since then we’ve built on this backbone with talent from further afield including Lowriders (NL), Kanji Kinetic & Z-Kat (UK/CZ), Donky Pitch & Slugabed (UK), Slit Jockey (US), Steakhouse & Pollinate records (UK,) Well Rounded (UK), Robox Neotech (DE), and of course yourselves… Plus there’s’ a few more Bristol crew’s in the shape of Tape Echo, Always Everything and Koan Sound. There are loads more besides these and plenty more to be added in the near future so keep ‘em peeled for schedule developments.

That ties in nicely with the next question… what kind of developments are in store for the project?

K: The first thing that we've got going on is the site re-launch. We're aware that up until now, the site's always appeared to be a bit of an empty shell. Due to our limited resources, we've always been reliant on the assistance of others in helping us shape our vision into something that people enjoy interacting with (we're useless at web design!). Fortunately, we found our savior in the form of Kane aka Neka, who's part of the Tape Echo project. Thanks to him, the site has a lot more scope for content, with a new blog feature, featured artist interviews with podcasts, recordings from live events and a much better timetabling system. We've got lots more exciting plans for the site in the future though, as this is essentially only version 1.5 of the Hive. With some of the things we have planned for the future, we hope to see the Hive grow and become a tool for the underground music community to interact with a massive variety of content.

We've also recently started doing nights in Bristol with some of our favourite promoters. The whole premise around the events is 'Hivemind Presents' - whereby we team up with our favourite promoters, and help put on more than just a party, but a snapshot of what's going on in music at a particular point in time. We recently hosted the Chicago Juke Tour in conjunction with our friends from Brock Out. DJ Spinn, Chrissy Murderbot and Girl Unit all absolutely killed it! We also did some mad carnival lazer bass thing with Pacheko, Deville & Hanuman which was probably one of my favourite nights I’ve ever been to in Bristol. We're hoping to expand the whole 'Hivemind Presents' thing to other cities around the UK and all over the world, hooking up with our favourite promoters and helping to show off a wide range of talent from all over.

As people, what have you got coming up worth plugging?

K: Personally, I’ve just put out my debut EP on Slit Jockey records called 'The Art of War' on a kind of synthy-future bass vibe. I got snapped up by Starkey pretty early on in my producing career, and the material on it is all from kind of around that time where I was experimenting a lot and trying to find my own thing. I'm really happy to have it finally out and I've had some nice comments from people about how it flows nicely from start to finish. Otherwise, I've got some nice offers from people and a few different EP's and side projects I’m working on, including a collab with me & Kanji Kinetic. By the looks of things, 2011 should hopefully be pretty exciting.

Can you give us a little bit of an introduction to the mix…

R: The Hivemind principle of shared thought is a presence throughout this mix. Me and Will approach things from totally different angles but we’ve managed to bring together all our influences to represent what we see as the collective vision for Hivemind: a willingness to dig through classics whilst staying ruthlessly on point. There’s a bit of everything we love in there; classic RnB, hip hop from the LA school of beats, synth-laden electronica, NY x UK house & garage, Berlin dub techno, Drexciyan electro, Chi-town juke and its Detroit based booty bass cousin. London is heavily repped with some grime and funky – all with a cheeky nod to the dancefloor and mixed together at a fairly breakneck speed. 62 tracks in 99 minutes ain’t bad!

::

DOWNLOAD: Kaiser & Rory Power – Hivemind FM x Sonic Router Mix



Tracklist:

1. letherette - eye to eye
2. take - neon beams
3. maxmillion dunbar - pretty please
4. oriol - flux
5. tropics - give it up
6. om unit - the corridor
7. american men - tenzin zopa (machinedrum remix)
8. dj rashad - gettin some head
9. kelis & andre 3000 - millionaire
10. pariah - c-beams
11. arpanet - grossvater paradoxon
12. jimmy edgar - one twenty detail
13. space dimension controller - journey to the centre of the unknown sphere
14. 808 state - flow coma (afx remix)
15. kidkut - ilove04
16. karizma - darqness
17. roof light - palm
18. falty dl - odyssey
19. cosmin trg - tower block
20. dva feat fatima - just vybe (soulepower mix)
21. oriol - lw
22. omar s - plesetsk cosmodrome
23. funkineven - heart pound
24. roska & untold - long range
25. aardvarck - cult copy 3 (dub)
26. bok bok & cubic zirconia - reclash (give it to me)
27. green velvet - answering machine
28. lone - once in a while
29. steve poindexter - work that motherfucker (paul johnson remix)
30. ramadanman - mir
31. subeena - wishful talk (ghosts on tape remix)
32. boddika - boddika's house
33. morgan geist - airpour
34. girl unit - wut
35. ti - yeah ya know (instrumental)
36. mosca - square one (bok bok remix)
37. scratcha dva - 32da4
38. terror danjah - power grid
39. royal-t - hot ones (remix)
40. plasticman - cha
41. lv - boomslang
42. seiji - straylight
43. crst - may not be real
44. wax - 10001 a
45. basic channel - phylyps trak ii
46. george morel - let's groove
47. hardrive - deep inside
48. jus ed - marco's love
49. africa hitech - how does it make you feel
50. kingthing - bump
51. boddika - syn chron
52. jameson - urban hero
53. dj funk - booty perk-u-later
54. drexciya - digital tsunami
55. mr de - time space scrilla
56. remote - the swarm
57. redinho - pitter patter
58. dj spinn & dj rashad - daydreamin (juktronik)
59. 2am/fm - landing dock two
60. rustie - dragonfly
61. model 500 - ofi

Link:
http://hivemind.fm

VIDEO: Becoming Real x Trim - Like Me

Premiered on The Fader, reviewed right here, this is the moving picture clip for Becoming Real and Trim's standout collaboration, 'Like Me.'

This one killer.

RECOMMENDED: Becoming Real - Spectre EP [Not Even]

Becoming Real’s new EP for Not Even, Spectre, is a match made in heaven: two wonderfully abstract Eski-styled riddims, a guest appearance from one of grime’s finest lyricists, Trim, and a remix by juke/footwork maestro (and current hot property) DJ Rashad. Grime is in good shape right now: Elijah & Skilliam’s championship of new producers; Terror Danjah’s resurgence and upcoming Undeniable album for Hyperdub; the genre’s huge influence in shaping the more forward thinking ends of UK funky; Hessle Audio’s absorption of its early experimentalism, and hybrids like Untold’s ‘Anaconda’ achieving airplay far beyond the usual circles. Becoming Real is another name to add to the list, then. His music takes the minimalist principles behind Wiley’s eski instrumentals and applies a thin sheen of the future, still working within the most stripped-back template possible but also sounding distinctly of 2010.

Spectre’s lead track, ‘Like Me,’ has been doing the rounds for a while now, but still hits like a ton of bricks. Beyond the instrumental itself - which is one of the best abstract grime tracks to have emerged for a while, beats stripped away to nothing and replaced with menacing blasts of sub and arabesque descending chimes – it finds Trim in characteristically scathing form, flinging withering put-downs with a seeming minimum of effort. As ever, his flow strikes a peculiar balance between straight-faced aggression and sarcastic humour, leaving an undercurrent of menace that’s quite difficult to place. Even better is ‘Showdown In Chinatown,’ where he revisits similar themes to those he explored on Dusk & Blackdown’s ‘The Bits’ – shifting loyalties, the nature of friendship and dogged self-reliance – while Becoming Real’s jagged synths detonate all around. The title certainly couldn’t be more appropriate if it tried. DJ Rashad’s take on ‘Like Me’ meanwhile, is a little too one-dimensional for comfort, heading straight for relentless, wearing pace; it’s a mirror placed alongside the originals, which are potent reminders that grime can still manage to be both subtle and hype at once.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: 15th November

Becoming Real x Trim - Like Me	Becoming Real x Trim - Showdown In Chinatown

Link:
FREE DLs @ http://becomingreal.bandcamp.com

INTERVIEW: SRC [No Hats No Hoods/Numbers]

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.

Any words of wisdom, for our readers?

Be punctual, lateness can be costly.

::

DOWNLOAD: SRC – Sonic Router Mix #52



Tracklist:

01 SRC - Ryouko
02 Gudio - Mad Sax
03 SRC - Powerman 9
04 SRC - Headspin
05 SRC - Quater-Circle, Back, Kick
06 Terror Danjah - Bipolar
07 Royal-T - Damn It
08 Spooky - Iron Gates (Remix)
09 SRC (Unamed)
10 Swindle - Molly
11 Kavsrave - Baggage Handler
12 James Blake - Buzzard & Kestral
13 Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (SRC Remix)
14 SRC - Sex On The Beach
15 SRC - Paper Aeroplane
16 SRC - Blue Grime Zone
17 SRC - Sort Of A Start
18 Gemmy - Maroon Chant
19 Crystal Fighters - In The Summer (SRC Remix)
20 SRC (Unamed)
21 SRC - Gold Coinz
22 SRC - Be Down
23 B. Bravo - Computa Love

Link:
www.myspace.com/src411

Photo: Steve Braiden

INTERVIEW: Rude Kid [No Hats No Hoods]

If you’ve been listening to grime at any point over the last three years you have undoubtedly heard Rude Kid’s beats. He’s everywhere, currently being vocalled by every MC in the scene and spun by every DJ going, causing a stir with tracks like ‘Sing 4 Me’ which featured Ghetts on mic duties, and ‘Electric’ which is receiving a raucous reception wherever it gets dropped. After 3 vinyl releases to date, the Are You Ready EP, Electric and the Jack Daniels EP, on the No Hats No Hoods label, Rude Kid dropped his debut long player - also called Are You Ready? a title taken no doubt from his recognisable production watermak- a collection of instrumentals showcasing his energetic productions style for the label.

We caught up with him to shoot him some questions and get the low down on his projects…

Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?

Rude Kid: My music name is Rude kid some heads call me Rudes. I’m 22 years old, come from London, and am a music producer/DJ. Ive been doing music for about 3 years properly but ive always loved listening to music from when I was very young.

Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?

I don’t think I do much else beside music, but outside of music I’m just a normal guy I watch a lot of films and spend time with my family and friends. Im very close to them and I love having a laugh. On a normal day if im not doing music I will just relax play abit of ps3.

How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do produce?

I used to listen to a lot of pirate radio before I started making music and got influenced by the energy the music had. I always wanted to hear my songs getting played on radio or raves it was like a dream I had to make reality, which I think I’ve achieved now. I was introduced a programme called FruityLoops by a friend in school and every since then ive made music. Nobody taught me how to use the programme I had to learn everyting myself which took long but now I can use it with my eyes closed.

What’s your production set up like?

I’ve got a very basic setup: only Fruityloops, a midi keyboard and some good speakers, that’s all I need. Right now im making good music with just the basic setup and it sounds good on big speakers in the clubs or on radio. But one day when I get my own studio I will have to get more equipment.

Where do you take inspiration from when making music?

I think just everyday life, for example a lot of my songs are named after what I’ve done that day, for example I made a instrumental called ‘Dentist’ which is on my album. That was made after I came back from the dentist and how I was feeling. It all depends on my mood and how I’m feeling on the day aswell. I also get inspired by a lot of hardworking musicians and when I see them succeeding that just makes me want to work extra harder. I feel I still have a lot to prove to show what I’m capable of.

How would you describe your sound?

Very unique and alien... I feel I have my own sound and that is one of the reasons people paid attention to my music in the first place, because it was something different to the norm. A lot of producers make beats that sound the same as their previous beats but I don’t do that. If you listen to my instrumental album you will see how many different styles and sounds I use. I got tunes like ‘Jack Daniels’ which is more dance music, ‘Electric’ which is like a dubstep sound; ‘Leave me alone’ which is a calm mellow tune. Basically the list goes on. This instrumental album I’ve got out now shows of all my styles.



How did the ‘Are you ready?’ sonic signature come about?

I sampled that of one CD I had long time ago I forgot what it was, but I used to put it in a few instrumentals I was making. Then when I started to leave it out people were like “where’s the ‘Are You Ready?’”. So that’s been my signature ever since… I’ve had that since I started making music. I also think its important for a producer to have their own signature because with me if I didn’t have ‘Are You Ready?’ before the drop of the beat hardly anybody will know I made it. So it helps having a signauture sound.

Your beats are used by some of the biggest names in grime, but what is your personal favorite vocal an emcee has laced you with?

I’ve had so many good vocals on my beats it’s hard to say; my most successful song has to be ‘Sing 4 me,’ but my favorite is Skepta ft Wiley – ‘Are you Ready?’. That song has a lot of energy and it’s a song everyone can sing along to as well. Everytime im DJing at a club and I drop that tune it always gets a good reaction.

I did a remix for ‘Man Like Me’ with their single ‘London Town’ and JME was on the remix aswell. I like that vocal aswell because its different reminds me of old skool Garage. Also the remix is going to be on the next edition of DJ HERO the game. When I got told it was gonna be on there it didn’t sink in, I was shocked to be honest, but it’s a very good look for me, JME & Man Like Me.

What MCs are you working with right now and who would you like to work with that you haven’t yet?

I think ive worked with nearly every big MC, there’s a few I haven’t worked with yet though, but I’m more looking forward to working with singers right now and experimenting with different styles. The only MC I would wanna work with is Dizzee Rascal right now. Hopefully in the future you might hear something from Dizzee and me.

You hooked up with Terror Danjah for ‘Best Crawler’ and killed it, are you working on more bits together?

Yeah definitely Terror is a good friend so its not hard to work on another beat together. The ‘Best Crawler’ was made very randomly. I was in his studio and he had the same instrument VST I used for ‘Sing 4 Me’, so I came up with the idea for me to use the ‘the best’ sounds and for him to use the ‘Creepy Crawler’ sounds. I made my melody then he had a perfect beat already which he had made before and it fit perfectly to what I made. ‘Best Crawler’ is out now on my 12”, Jack Daniels EP, out in all good record stores. It was good working with Terror Danjah because he is one producer I used to look up to when I was younger and for him to be telling me my beats are mad means a lot. He also talks a lot of sense and I know he’s seen a lot in the music scene, so he always gives me tips or advice when I need it.

Tell us about the new album on No Hoods No Hats: ‘Are You Ready?’ How did it come about and what had to be on it?

Ive had releases with No Hats No Hoods before and that’s my management so it makes sense for my stuff to come out with their label. It was my plan to have the ‘Are You Ready?’ CD come out in 2009, but a lot of planning went into the CD and in the end we all decided to make it more of an album rather than just a instrumental CD, so a lot of tunes got taken off and a lot got put back in. I’m very happy with the instrumentals that have been put on the album. Over all the CD describes how many different styles of music I have, none of them sound the same.

I think my favourite instrumental on the CD has to be ‘Electric’ I remember the day I made that beat; it made me get up from my seat and think about what I’d just done haha. That beat is very powerful and I know a lot of music listeners and DJ’s have been waiting for it. But to be honest every beat on the album is my favorite they all have their own styles and I’m very proud of myself for making them.



How are you feeling about the state of grime today?

Grime right now is still growing. It feels like people aren’t giving it a chance, but there is so much good music and songs being made in the grime scene. Hopefully people will see that and give it the break it deserves. I know a lot of people are making mainstream music which doesn’t matter at all along as they stick to making grime even if they do other genres of music. Like I make a lot of other genres of music but I will always be making grime at the same time.

The grime vinyl releases from labels like No Hoods No Hats, Hyperdub, Planet Mu, Butterz, Rwina, etc have been picking up of late, do you think that this more DJ based material is bringing more dance influences back into grime? And vice versa?

Definitely having vinyl out is good because I know there are still a lot of people who buy them. I do agree with some people who say it should come digitally as well. Right now the instrumentals being released on vinyl are all tunes that can get played in a dance and make people go crazy which is what is needed .

What other projects have you got in the pipeline?

I’ve got a lot of projects coming I want to make another instrumental music video I’m going to be working on some music with singers, Another EP and I defiantly want to make a Vocal Album.

Any words of wisdom for our readers?

Stay positive and belive in yourself.

Words: James Balf

Rude Kid’s ‘Are You Ready’ CD is out now on No Hats No Hoods.

Links:
www.myspace.com/rudekidproductions
www.myspace.com/nohatsnohoods

PRE-ORDER: Swindle – Air Miles EP [Planet Mu]

Swindle comes at the dubstep/grime melee from a different angle, he can drop melodic funk or dirty rave bombs at the drop of a hat. His last outing on Planet Mu came on the form of a quality funked up remix of Terror Danjah’s ‘Zumpi Hunter,’ which blended together like a grime/skweee hybrid, but with the four tracker Air Miles EP he steps out with his own diverse style.

The A-side really throws down some killer material with the eponymous track opening proceedings with Swindle in rave mode making a grime tempered instrumental so twisted I’ve yet to hear an MC ride it right. The energy is embedded in the melodic tension-building intro; pads and skipping percussion lead into a deadly drop that bounces into action hard and ravey like. If you put it next to Terror Danjah’s ‘Acid’ it’s like grime has done a Marty McFly and found its way to ’92, dripping with energy and a massive grin on its face. Another highlight is ‘Daredevil’ which creates some serious hyper funk without veering over the line of cheesy preset midi funk tinkling; it’s big, brash and snappy with big basslines powered instruments that sound like they’re being squeezed through a talk box a-la Tupac’s ‘California Love.’

The flip leaves me a bit colder, ‘Coffee’ and ‘Molly’ have a big beat feel to them when they whip out the tweaked and filtered guitars, and just step over the line from fun to cheese though ‘Molly’ redeems itself with a killer low end that growls and twists with plenty of funk. ‘Coffee’ meanwhile has a good skippy feel to it and brings some hi-tech soul and the production, much like on the EP as a whole, is spot on.

Words: James Balf
Out: Tuesday 4th May (Bank Holiday innit)

You can kop Swindle’s recent LuckyMe mixtape here or catch him at Crazylegs in Bristol on the 8th May with Joy Orbison and the one ton heavy Pev meister.



Facebook Event

Link:
www.myspace.com/swindleproductions

RECOMMENDED: Terror Danjah – Bipolar EP [Butterz]

The Butterz label drop their debut release with three grime bombs, built purposely to shake floors by Terror Danjah and his evil twin D.O.K., who here turns in a remix. Label owners and Rinse.fm grime DJs Elijah and Skilliam have been making waves of late tearing up the airwaves with solid sets of instrumental fire that’ve been a force to be reckoned with; as well as a refreshing change of pace from emcee led mixtape beats that all too often lack the vitality grime can deliver.

That tell tale gremlin cackle signifies Terror’s return and kicks ‘Bipolar’ into action all bright and chirpy first with neon synth pulses aplenty before dropping into some gravely bass tones. The whole track feels like Terror in dubstep mode, but his very unique raw and energetic approach is evident, it’s simultaneously hype and dirty. The most addictive track onhere has to be ‘Air Bubble’ though, the bursting popcorn rhythms get under your skin and bring the boogie as the hyper-funk synth lines and bass manoeuvres twist, turn and play off the bubbling percussive loops perfectly.

D.O.K. gets his ‘Sidechain’ remix moving with a geezer mantra as a voice chants “come on lets ‘av it” before the monstrous bass, funk stabs and sirens hit and the pumping kicks are let loose. So much so that by the time the next vocal comes in, “if I’m going to have it, I’m going to have it large” it feels like you’ve been sucked into a techno party in another dimension.

Words: James Balf
Out: Now

Buy @ Uptown Records



Grab the stems to remix 'Air Bubble' here: http://verybutterz.blogspot.com/2010/03/air-bubble.html

Links:
http://verybutterz.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/butterzuk
www.myspace.com/terrordanjah
www.myspace.com/dokmusic

RECOMMENDED: Terror Danjah – Acid/Terror Danjah Ft. DOK – Pro Plus [Hyperdub]

Unless you count Joker, whose sound easily flits between the genre cracks, Hyperdub haven’t released any grime before, which is a pretty amazing feat considering Kode9 has always been a strong advocate of the sound. Maybe there just wasn’t much need for grime on Hyperdub over its 5 year tenure, the labels dark distopian sound in the early years may not have suited grime so afluently; but now the horizons have expanded and the raw synth led hyper-funk of more recent material opens the doors back up for producers like Terror Danjah and DOK.

‘Acid’ sees Danjah on an old skool rave tip merging his hard skipping dense funk with ’92 Hoover synths that aren’t far off being a homage to The Prodigy’s ‘Charlie,’ minus the cartoon cat samples, here replaced with some seriously big hooks and drum programming to die/dance for. ‘Pro Plus’ sees Terror Danjah hook up with the underrated DOK - a producer sometimes described as Danjah’s evil twin who stays in the shadows, lurking with intent - who also has a distinctive sound that’s maybe a little more percussive than Terror’s. Sub bass grooves and swirling synth melodies ensue getting things bumping with a a spacious drum groove.

Words: James Balf
Out: Today

Link:
www.myspace.com/terrordanjah
www.myspace.com/dokmusic
www.myspace.com/hyperdub

RECOMMENDED: Rude Kid – Jack Daniels EP [No Hoods No Hats]

"Are you ready!?!" That’s Rude Kid’s trademark sonic stamp - much like the 'Ross Car Ross Car Ross Car' sting that Roska uses or the manic cackle Terror Danjah repeatedly creeps out – and those three words have become synonymous of incoming quality when you hear it in the mix. The grime producer has been a staple of sets for so long now: shows or mixtapes hardly go by without you hearing that familiar phrase. It’s not his first time out on the No Hoods No Hats label either with the conveniently titled ‘Are You Ready EP’ preceding this one by a good few months.

The title track ‘Jack Daniels’ is a freak hybrid of hard pulsing techno, dubstep, funky and grime. The four to the floor kicks and beefy bass pulses wouldn’t be to out of place in an old Laurent Garnier set next to ‘Crispy Bacon’ or ‘Acid Eiffel’ but they’re equally at home in the boxes of grime DJs too; it’s a track that bangs hard and will always add energy to any set. Rude Kid follows this with the instrumental to his shake up of Man Like Me’s ‘London Town,’ a bubbling garage number with a grime flex, piano licks, skippy drums, rudeboy bass that pretty much hits the spot.

The flip is the grimiest: ‘Emergency’ brings out the big guns with its dirty, grizzly bass tones, raw funk and cheeky rave stabs. ‘Best Crawler,’ a collaboration with recent Hyperdub signing Terror Danjah, is the highlight of a solid package though, it’s got the hard-funk and raw power of both producers, along with both of their sonic trademarks. Plus the flip between huge bass pulses, grimy violins, Gameboy-esq bleeps and propulsive, musical trance-like elements just kills it.

Words: James Balf
Out: Now

Links:
www.myspace.com/rudekidproductions
www.myspace.com/nohatsnohoods

DOWNLOAD: Reecha - The POP Mix

Rather than a mix of Gaga into that N Dubz track that features the albino Mr Hudson which, its fair to say, probably would be immense, Dirty Canvas honcho, Reecha - fresh from the Sonic Router is 1 RAVE - drops a mix for POP mag.

DOWNLOAD: Reecha - The POP Mix (Via Sendspace)

Tracklist on the Mixcloud player.

Link:
www.myspace.com/reechamusic

EVENT: FWD>> & Rinse @ matter

This Friday at matter... ter... ter... ter.

Facebook Event // Tickets

Link:
http://rinse.fm

DOWNLOAD: Akkachar - Butterz Exclusives

Former Sonic Router mix giver (wow - bigg title), Akkachar - owner and proprietor of Rwina Records, just did an exclusive mix - which was first broadcast on Elijah and Skiliam's Rinse.fm show - for our friends over at Butterz.

Watch out for Starkey's 'Rain City'/'Beatingz' 12" dropping shortly on the Dutch label as well as an EP by SRC, a producer featured heavily on the mix and the lips of everybody from FACT to DSF, entitled 'Goin Out.'

DOWNLOAD: Akkachar - Butterz Exclusives

Tracklist:

Taz Buckfaster - Tonic the Swedgehog [forthcoming rwina]
SRC - Sort of a start [forthcoming rwina]
SRC - Goin out [forthcoming rwina]
501 - Higher ground [forthcoming rwina]
Starkey - Rain city [rwina]
SRC- Where's the remote [forthcoming rwina]
Dj Madd - Got u dancin [forthcoming subway]
501 - St. ives [forthcoming rwina]
Guido - Cat in the window [dub]
Gemmy - Double Yellow [dub]
Starkey - Beatingz [rwina]
Baobinga - Ride It (untold remix) [forthcoming build]
Taz Buckfaster - 20 Red [rwina]
Akkachar - Neon Swagga [forthcoming subway]
Matt-u - Watchin U [forthcoming subway]
SRC - Goomba VIP goombag [forthcoming butterz]
Eprom - Lick Out [forthcoming rwina]

Link:
www.myspace.com/akkachar
http://verybutterz.blogspot.com

VIDEO: Trim - Monkey (Hood Video)

Arkse fo' Trim.

Link:
www.myspace.com/trimbale

INTERVIEW: Terror Danjah [Planet Mu]

Veteran grime producer Terror Danjah has been producing his own strain of grime since day dot as part of both the Aftershock camp and the Nasty Crew before breaking out and making beats for the biggest names in the scene. Last year the Planet Mu label released an instrumental retrospective of his productions, entitled ‘Gremlinz’ it brought his unique horror film funk style into focus for a whole new audience.

This year he’s set to continue that trend, doling a few more of his productions out to Kode 9's Hyperdub label, oft reffered to as seminal across the specturm of December 2009's end of year polls; and the freshly birthed Butterz imprint. With a truck load of history and a bright future we thought it was high time we pinned him down for a chat...

Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?

Terror Danjah: I am a producer from East London, one the original pioneers of Grime. I started of as a jungle/drum & bass DJ; I ran my own crew called Reckless Crew, members included where D Double E, Hyper, Bruza, Triple Threat (known as Lethal MC), Scratcha DVA, Mayhem, & DJ Interlude. In early 2003 I started my own label called Aftershock, which had big releases such as Crazy Titch 'I Can See U,' 'Cock Back' by myself which featured Hyper, Crazy Titch, D Double E & Riko, 'Get Me' by Bruza, 'So Sure' by myself featuring Sadie Ama & Kano, 'Frontline' by Big-E-D, 'So Contagious' by myself featuring Shola Ama & D Double, etc etc…

More recently, I have released two instrumental CD's 'Zip Files Vol. 1' and 'Gremlinz, The Instrumentals 2003 -2009' via Planet Mu. A vinyl EP entitled 'Industry Standard part 4' which includes Swindle's 'Zumpi Huntah' remix & 'Sidechain' is also on Planet Mu and theres the 'Hardrive Grime Compilation (Hardrive volumes 1 & 2).'

Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?

I don't do anything but music. I'm sad really…

How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do produce?

Well when I was a Jungle DJ, I wanted specials with my name in it, and I started to put my name in tunes. A lot of the drum & bass producers where tight with giving out tunes, you had be apart of the elite to get tunes. It was hard most times but I got lucky, DJ SS, Pascal, Bad Company, Brockie, Shy Fx, DJ Kane all used to look after me. That's when I decided to make my own tunes, mainly because I was getting all the tunes to compete.

What’s your production set up like?

A Quad Core PC (yes a PC lol), EMU 1820m soundcard, Neuman U87 Mic, Liquid Mix pre channel, KVK 12" Monitors speakers, Cubase 5, M-Audio Radium Controller Keyboard, Sony DAT machine, and billions of sly VST's & VSTi's (now that really would be telling… mwahahaha)!

How would you describe your sound to someone zoning in for the first time?

I couldn't, I have too many different styles, its hard, some of my sound is minimal techy, some days more R&B and hip hop like, other days ther'es a drum & bass influence… I dunno where to start…

What inspires you musically?

Different things like watching films, new VSTi's plugins and sample packs/sample CDs… going to different types of raves where I wouldn't normally go… hearing new albums or new tunes from every genre. Even sometimes being pissed off inspires me!

Your sound is really unique and not just the cackle; you’ve got this heavy funk, wide screen horror sound track thing going on. What draws you to the sounds you use/make do they just come instinctively?

I guess its more instinctively, growing up in the 80's & 90's listening to Jackson 5, Earth Wind & Fire, Afrikka Bambatta through to Notorious BIG, Tupac, Wu Tang etc has left an impact on me.

You’ve collaborated with some quality grime producers recently with DOK, Rudekid and Swindle, what do you like about hooking up with those guys and have you got more in the works with them or any others?

I rate them guys highly, I like collaborating with other producers like how MCs/artist would. It brings a fresh sound to whats already there. A new mix and blend.



You’ve worked with some of the biggest MCs in grime; do you have a favourite vocal of one of your beats?

Its quite hard to say, it depends what mood I'm in, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be 'So Sure.'

Are you working with more vocalists at the moment?

Not really, I'm more concentrating on myself as a Producer/DJ. I'm getting back to my roots of making instrumentals, but saying that, I have submitted tracks for D Double E, Smurfie Syco, Griminal & Mz Bratt's albums.

Tell us a bit about the latest Hardrive compilation; what’s the thinking behind those?

My motive for 'Hardrive' was really to showcase my diversity as a producer and to highlight a few artists that weren't getting heard like One 4 One & Dream Mclean, Yazmin etc. Also there aren't hardly any grime compilations out there. I wanted to stray away from the name mixtape, because I didn't feel like it was an album as such.

Your retrospective Gremlinz on Planet Mu really got you attention from people all over the place that maybe weren’t following grime very intently before; tell us about how that comp came about?

I had featured on Mary Anne Hobb's 'Warrior Dubs' compilation, which was released on Planet Mu. I had tune on there called 'Give It To Em' which featured Mz Bratt & Bruza. Mike from Planet Mu contacted me and suggested the idea, and I was on it. The 'Gremlinz' album actually gave me a new lease of life, I didn't realise alot of people never knew I existed (I guess I was caught up in the whole grime bubble...).

Having the album out on Planet Mu really opened doors for me, so I have to thank Mike and all the Planet Mu staff!

What was your favourite instrumental from it and what did it mean to be put out there by that kind of label?

'Zumpi Huntah' is still one of my favourites; I didn't think about making the tune, it just made it self. Because I mostly had my own label Aftershock, I didn't feel the need to release my tunes any where else but I'm actually glad I've released my tunes with other labels; they each have different reaches, outlets and their own cult following!

You’ve got releases coming on Hyperdub and Butterz, tell us a bit about those tracks and how the hook ups came about?

I've known Kode 9 for while, he's the main reason why the interest is all on me, I've kinda known but never really realised that throughout the years Kode has been playing all my old material. Over the last 12 months people have been asking me like, "I've heard Kode 9 playing a new version this and that etc etc..." I always get confused by people asking for tunes that had been released in 2003 so obviously I had to return the favour and do something on Kode's label, Hyperdub!

I made two tracks on the Hyperdub release, 'Acid' & 'Pro Plus.' 'Acid' is like a ravey type of track thats got the elements of acid rave era synth stabs; Kode said it reminds him of 'Charley Says' by The Prodigy. Also there's an 8 bar drum & bass build up going through the track a few times to help split it up, plus theres a minimal tech sort of bridge. 'Pro Plus' is a more typical grime track; its myself and D.O.K collaborating on the production.

I know Elijah [from Butterz] through Loudmouth. Over the last year he and myself have been talking a lot about grime music and he told me that he wanted to start a label. The jokes thing about 'Bipolar' and 'Air Bubble' - which both feature on 'The Bipolar EP' - is that he was on the phone while I was making them! The EP also features D.O.K remix of 'Sidechain.'



What do you want to see happen in grime this year?

More proper and stable releases… more raves and more singing vocals on grime tunes but not the cheesy ones, lol!

Will you be DJing more in 2010?

Yeah defo, I'm full time DJ now, a mans got to eat! My bookings are already stacking up, I got Dublin, Glasgow, Nottingham and a few London dates coming.

What else have you got on the horizon with your music in 2010?

Along with the Hyperdub and Butterz 12s, I've got releases on True Tiger and No Hats No Hoods. I don't wanna say too much, I gotta keep the element of surprise, so just keep your eyes peeled at myspace.com/terrordanjah and twitter.com/terrordanjah.

Finally, have you got any words of wisdom for our readers?

Don't listen to no one, follow your heart and gut feeling. Take this music game with a pinch of salt whether its good or bad.

Words: James Balf

::

DOWNLOAD: Terror Danjah - KISS FM Mix

Tracklist to follow.

STREAM: Terror Danjah - Xmas Mix 09

Links:
www.myspace.com/terrordanjah
www.mixcloud.com/terrordanjah
www.twitter.com/terrordanjah

DOWNLOAD: Elijah & Skillam - 01012010 Mix

Rinse.fm staples Elijah & Skilliam, the duo behind the Butterz blog, marked the passing of a new calendar with an upfront mix packed with fresh beats from a smattering of producers, teeming the grime they're a little more renowned for with new beats from Joker, SRC and Terror Danjah - who'll you be seeing releasing a 12" on the newly formed Butterz label.

DOWNLOAD: Elijah & Skillam - 01012010 Mix

Tracklist:

Swindle - Open Your Mind (Butterz)
Royal T - Hot Ones Remix (Unreleased)
Terror Danjah - Acid (Hyperdub)
Swindle - 'Trending Topic' (Butterz)
DVA feat P Money - Wind It Up (No Right Turn)
Rude Kid - Absolut Vodka (No Hats No Hoods)
DOK & Terror Danjah - Hysteria (Butterz)
Swindle - Air Miles (Planet Mu)
Silencer - Miss Asia (Wow Bass Level 3)
Joker - Output One Two (Tectonic)
Rude Kid & Terror Danjah - The Best Crawler (No Hats No Hoods)
Tempa T - Boy Off The Ting (No Hats No Hoods)
Terror Danjah - Bipolar (Butterz)
OGZ - Hot Ones (Deeco Remix)
Maniac - Lengman Tune (Unreleased)
Terror Danjah - Sidechain (Swindle Remix) (Planet Mu)
SRC - Powerman 9 (Unreleased)
DOK - Keep Making Grime (Unreleased)
Rude Kid - Electric (Earth 616)
J Beatz - Life & Death (SCUK)
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Butterz)
Starkey - Ok Love (Planet Mu)
????? - ?????? (Teaser)

Link:
http://butterz.co.uk