PERSONAL
1. How old are you?
24
2. Where are you from?
London Canada
3. Do you think your location has affected your success in Drum & Bass?
Absolutely. Being out here in the sticks pretty much left me on my own to figure out how to make certains sounds, how to turn the right knobs, and which samples to use. I think it reflects in my music, however, because I try to stay a little bit "different" with every project I work on.
4. How long have you been producing Drum & Bass?
Roughly 4 years
5. Do you DJ, and how long have you been mixing for?
I started djing hip hop at a buddy's place in roughly 1996, and quickly started into DNB. So I guess about 7 years. Wow thats longer than i thought...
6. What are your Drum & Bass influences?
My early favourites were in the jump-up and ragga style, with local dj's like Freaky Flow, and Capital J etc... I quickly outgrew that and moved into the darker stuff like Ed and Op, Fierce, Teebee, Badco, Dillinja, Konflict, Stakka & Skynet etc. My current influences are Psidream, Teebee, Klute, Pendulum, BadCo, etc etc... I basically receive influence from anything +170bpm...
7. Do you have any other musical interests?
Oh absolutely. Almost every type of music is pleasant to my ears... Id say virtually everything except country. I just can't take that whining. The stuff I listen to the most is downtempo, like Luke Vibert, Theivery Corp, Harmonic 33, Danny Breaks, Bonobo, Seelenluft, Boards of Canada etc. I also OCCASIONALLY listen to hip hop. I used to really like Trance a lot, and I think that shows in my music -- Dont really listen to it much any more though.
8. How did you become involved in the Drum & Bass scene?
I've DJ'd around here a bit, some keg parties, small venues and bars etc, and i found I was just sounding exactly like every other DJ. At that point I almost lost interest in drum and bass music, until I got into a school for music production, and that changed my interests. I figured if I could play my own stuff or unique stuff in my sets, it would make me stand out in the crowd. That's what I try to do for the "scene" is bring a few fresh jams every time I play.
9. What did you do before Drum & Bass?
I played Drums in a hardcore punk band. Screaming and all. I had to quit because I got tendonitus. It was fun while it lasted.
10. What is the Drum & Bass scene like in your area?
We work hard at it. There aren't too many headz around, but the same crew shows up virtually any time the decks are turned on. Most of the crew around here is pretty friendly too.
11. 2003 looks to be a good year for Drum & Bass, where do you see it heading?
Every aspect of Drum and Bass music is continually evolving. Thats what keeps it so fresh and interesting for me. Personally I'd love to see it get back to Ed Rush and Optical Wormhole days, but living in the past is something we should all avoid. Pendulum's stuff is amazing. I predict they will be a huge success this year, as with Psidream. Personally I'd like to see producers continue to use more melody within their tunes, while still keeping them dark sounding. That's the ish.
12. Do you have a web site?
Hrmm... no... Never had the time or interest to learn how to do it myself, and dont feel like paying anyone. Anyone care to donate??
13. What are your favourite Drum & Bass web sites?
I am a regular at gainrecordings.net (the forum there is wicked!!), as well dogsonacid.com, but I rarely post. Lots of reading. Breakbeat.co.uk is obviously a wealthy resource for information, and Tarzan, for those who know. Rewindradio.com is the hotness.
14. What are your favourite non-Drum & Bass web sites?
I'm a big home theatre nut. Also cars are cool. So anything home theatre or car related. Also headphone fetish picture sites. Bonzai kitten, Somethingawful.com, and furniture porn.
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