I first interviewed John, or Woodsy as he introduced himself to me as, 30 odd years ago for the legendary Knowledge magazine (now K-Mag). This was back when it was an A5-sized free magazine distributed mostly in small clothing shops or rave-friendly independent record stores (remember them?).
As a fellow Bristolian, I had seen how hard John had worked to make a name for himself both in and around the city and nationally. It was the mid-90s and the rave scene was starting to fragment into different styles. As other DJs stuck to their tried and true formulas John wasn’t afraid to try new things, launch new labels and release tunes in different genres of music.
The interview in Knowledge was a good start, but the rest of the UK deserved to know about our man Vinyl Junkie. During this time, I was also writing for Eternity magazine which was one of the few places where you could read about everything from experimental House to Hardcore, Rave and Drum and Bass. So John and I got back on the phone and did it all again - this time for readers across the country and beyond.
I watched as Woodsy constantly pushed himself to adapt and stay fresh and I knew he was someone who’d still be working in the business many years later. And sure enough, 25 years on, he’s still at it. They say that three is the magic number and all that, so we had to do it all again, right? So here it is, our third interview - and who knows, maybe we’ll be back here in another 25 celebrating half a century.
Tekno Jay.
So I will start with asking you some of your own questions and then i'll throw some of my own in later... What is your earliest musical memory?
I remember seeing somebody busking once when I was really young, probably six or seven. He was playing an acoustic guitar and singing… I think he had a beard lol… That’s literally all I remember. That was a LONG time ago of course.
What music was being played in your house growing up?
When I was a kid, my mum used to listen to rock ‘n’ roll quite a lot. Elvis Presley. Eddie Cochran… Stuff like that. I also remember Suzi Quattro being played a lot. But she would also listen to Abba too, Barry White… Rod Stewart. So quite an eclectic selection, but it didn’t do anything for me to be fair 🤣. Then, when I was about 11 years old, which was 1978, I discovered the Sex Pistols and the Clash... that kinda changed everything.
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
The first record I ever bought was the Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks. I was about 12 years old. I cycled along the Portway from Shirehampton into Bristol city center (about 4 miles) and bought it in HMV Records. My mum went mental when she found out I’d cycled 8 miles up and down the A4 when I was 12 years old. I became obsessed with buying vinyl after that and would spend all my pocket money on records.
You know what the mad thing is though? That Sex Pistols record was scratched. When I got it home and played it the track “Anarchy in the UK” jumped. I was so gutted. So, I had to go back to HMV Records the following weekend to change it. Needless to say, my mum gave me the bus fare and got some older kids to come with me. Ha! The first “rave” tunes I bought were “Alarm Clock” by Westbam and “All We Wanna Do is Dance” by the House Crew. I bought them both at the same time.
First rave you went to?
The first time I went out and did the whole “Rave” experience… I wouldn’t call it a rave. It was the Ku Club in Ibiza in the Summer of 1989. That was my initiation into Rave culture though and I was hooked. The first actual big rave event I went to was Sunrise at Santa Pod. That was October 1989. I hadn’t long got back from Ibiza having spent the whole summer there. But this was a whole different thing…. 10,000 people in an aircraft hangar and it was still rocking at 10am the next morning. I’d never seen anything like that before. I remember the laser show was next level and the music was REALLY loud!
Favourite rave (as a punter)?
That’s a really difficult question, there’s been so many. But when I think “favourite rave” there are a couple that spring to mind. The first is that Sunrise we just spoke about. The second is Perception. Their first two events in Bristol at the Brunel Sheds were nuts, but then they did their first really BIG event which was the Warehouse Concept in Wisbech. That event was sooooo gooood!!! The production, the music, and the vibe, everything... was wicked. And then there was Raindance at Jenkins Lane, Barking which i went to a couple of times and they were all brilliant. In fact I think I may have gone to the very first one. That was 1989..
What got you into DJing (and when)?
Those early parties, I guess. I was fascinated by how they could play a record over the top of another record. I used to really listen to what the DJ’s were doing. All my mates didn’t care, they just wanted to get out of their heads and jump around (which I did too, obviously) but I was always really into the music, and I had been collecting vinyl since I was a kid. It made sense, I wanted to be the guy up there playing the records. Although in those days you usually couldn’t even see the DJ and had no idea where he (or she) was.
Was there any particular DJ that influenced how/what you play?
Well back in the early days you never knew what DJ was playing anyway. Like I said, you couldn’t see the DJ and even if you could, you wouldn’t know who the fuck it was. Some skinny dude with a ponytail usually, ha. And there were no MC’s. The first time I remember being properly blown away by a DJ and I knew who it was, was Simon Bassline Smith at Dance 91 at Aston Villa Leisure center. I have seen him play many times over the years and he has always smashed it so I guess I would have to list him as somebody that has influenced the way I play.
What was your first proper gig and how did it go?
My first actual gig in a venue where people paid to get in was a small club in Shirehampton in Bristol called Fairways. This was March 1991. Following that I played many small clubs around Bristol and loads of free parties throughout 1991, some of which were pretty big. Then in December that year I played at an event called Vibes Alive which was what I would call my first big legal rave. I think it went well as they made me resident, and I played at every one.
Favourite gigs?
There’s been so many memorable gigs, but I am just going to tell you the first ones that popped into my head. Closing the Cave at Glastonbury Festival on the Sunday night. Not sure what year that was, maybe 2019? And the second one that popped up was Tribal Gathering in 1993 where I opened the main arena and watched it fill up during my hour set. That was pretty mind blowing for me, being on that line up with so many total legends. The Raveyard at Boomtown was immense. Opening the Banghai Palace at Boomtown B2B with DJ Resist was sick as well. And one more that i must say is Fantazia at Motion in Bristol where we headlined the main arena with a LIVE PA. That was Myself, Phuture Assassins & Rachel Wallace.
My favourite gig that I play for nowadays is without a doubt the Ravestory events, where I am resident in the Jungle room. These are such awesome events, if you haven't been yet you need to get yourself to one. You can find more info HERE
Influences as a DJ?
My early DJ Influences were Simon Bassline Smith, Fabio & Grooverider and probably DJ Sy. And I have to say Easy Groove as well... Although me and Dennis never really saw eye to eye, he was still a massive influence on me. And of course my good mate Luke aka the DJ Producer who is technically the best DJ I know.
Tell us about your productions, how and why you got into it, and some of the things you're most proud about?
I first got into dabbling with music production in about 1991. My mate Kev had an Atari ST1040 with Cubase and a Cheetah sampler which had about eight seconds sampling time. He also had an SH101 and some drum machines. We had no idea what we were doing but we used to get stoned and press buttons, it sounded great at the time haha. This went on for a while with Kev gradually buying more gear and us gradually learning how to use it.
Remember, there were no YouTube tutorials back then. Actually, there was no internet! Imagine that kids! Then in 1993 I did a couple of studio sessions with Jody Wisternoff of Sublove (probably better known for his part in Way Out West). That’s when the penny dropped really, I learned a lot from those 2 sessions! Not long after that I got a loan from the bank and bought an Atari ST1040 and an Akai S3000 sampler, some effects units, a compressor and a little 16 channel Studiomaster desk. That was the beginning of it really.
Then in about '95 I sent a demo to a London based hardcore label called Tech-Step Records. They liked it but thought the tunes needed some work so they invited me up to London to work on them. So I went to the studio with Dan, who was one half of the artist known as Rise & Shine and his brother Tom Thumb. On the way there they were talking about the engineer at the studio and they mentioned the name "Austin". I said Austin Reynolds?? Dan said yeah do you know him?... I was gobsmacked. No I didn't know him and I couldn't believe I was going to be working in the studio with a fuckin genius and someone that was nothing short of a legend in my eyes... Me and Austin became good friends after that and have done many projects over the years...
That leads me nicely onto tunes that I am proud of... There are quite a few to be honest but the first one I will mention is “Tearing My Love Apart” which is one of the tracks that came from those early sessions with Dan and Austin. Then “All Night” with Darkus which was Warehouse Wax #1, which was also engineered by Austin. The remix I did with Sanxion of Laid Blak’s “Bristol Love” and loads more, too many to mention them all. Also there was a tune I done called "Can't Forget" which sampled Mariah Carey and John Peel played it. Not once but half a dozen times. I was shitting myself in case i got pulled up on the sample. He said it was his wife's favourite tune of the year!!
A couple of years later I was contacted by a record label saying they were releasing an album which was compiled by John Peel himself. Some of his favourite tunes of all time. He had requested to license "Can't Forget". Imagine that?! I guess they had not actually listened to the track though because they asked my if there was any uncleared samples in it. I said that yes there was a massive one, sampling Mariah Carey. Needless to say i never heard back from them after that! True Story Bro!
So, staying with the production… What have you been up to more recently and what’s on the horizon?
Well up until about 2 years ago I’d been fully focused on making 175 Jungle/D&B. Ever since we started Ghetto Dub, I spent a lot of time trying to learn the ways of the ninja, perfecting my production skills and trying to get the finished product up to the same levels as the Big D&B boys.
I’m not sure if I actually achieved it, but about a couple of years ago I decided to go back to my roots for a little while and started making stuff with a bit more of an old skool vibe, and a bit slower. So, I made three jungle tracks with DJ SR which are available on vinyl on a label called Influential (Kniteforce’s jungle label). If you scroll up a bit you can listen to this EP.
I also have two tunes that I made with my old production buddy Sanxion. They’re more on the hardcore tip and have been released on a label called TUFSTUF. Scroll to the bottom of the page to hear that one. Sanxion and I have also remixed “Yes to Satan” by New Atlantic which is out now on the Warehouse Wax repress series and we have an original track forthcoming on Mined Records. I have also done a track with Tim Reaper which I think is coming out on Parallax and a four track EP of my own which is coming on Billy Bunter’s Music Mondays label, again, this is a vinyl release. I have a track coming on Good2Go as well...
Oh i almost forgot, the next Instalment of the Ghetto Dubz album series (Volume 3) is out now on Ghetto Dub. (Click the image for more info).
You've started a couple of record labels over the years, tell us a bit about Warehouse Wax and Ghetto Dub.
I had another label before these called Junkie Vinyl back in the Happy Hardcore days. I did six releases but that all came to an end when Alpha Magic distribution went bust. Then Warehouse Wax was started in 2003 by me & Darkus (although Darkus left after WAX002 to set up his own label Hardcore Projektz). We were both massive old skool enthusiasts and vinyl collectors and we had an online store selling records. The store was also called Warehouse Wax. At the time there was a big old skool revival going on. Me and a few other lads had set up our own event at Lakota in Bristol called Absolute Oldskool which was becoming really successful, and more events were popping up all over the country and I was blessed to be playing at a lot of them. But I had this urge to be able to play something new, rather than just playing old skool all the time. So myself and Darkus launched the label with a tune we made called “All Night” and a brand new Phuture Assassins tune called “Alone”. This was (as far as I am aware) the first record released in the noughties that emulated the sound of 1992 hardcore.
In the years that followed we did 12 vinyl releases and a couple of CD albums. Our artist roster back then included Orca, Austin, Phuture Assassins, Nebula 2, Sublove and many others. Eventually digital music started to take over and the arse fell out of the vinyl market; WAX012 hardly sold any. So we went down the digital route and have been going (sometimes a bit sporadically) ever since and we have 25 digital releases now and a couple of albums, with some new stuff lined up as well. On top of that, a few years back, Warehouse Wax re-entered the vinyl world and carried on where we had left off really, with WAX013. The only difference is now we are releasing represses of classics. So far, we’ve done The Men From Del Bosca, DSKF, Jem 77, 2 Slices of Jam and Yes To Satan. First 4 sold out and theres not many left of New Atlantic, so yeah, I think it’s going quite well. Big Love and respect to all our loyal supporters.
Ghetto Dub is more your Upfront Jungle / D&B label. I set that up with Rachael EC in 2015. I was starting to DJ more on the Jungle/D&B circuit and dabbling with producing more stuff at 175 and so it kinda made sense. So, we set up Ghetto Dub as a joint venture and it went from strength to strength. Then with 50 releases under our belt Rachael made the decision to leave and pursue her own projects, leaving Ghetto Dub in my hands. I wish her the very best of luck.
I have also just launched another label called Ghetto Wax as a sub-label to Ghetto Dub and a sister label to Warehouse Wax. This label is focused on more authentic sounding jungle at around the 160 mark. The first release is out now on vinyl.
We did put on a few parties, yes! We called the night Ghetto Blast and the first one was an event to celebrate my “25 years in the game” (Not ON the game LOL). We did it at Blue Mountain in Bristol and it was a sell-out. I think we did five or six parties in all. The vibe at our parties was always amazing. It seemed to attract a real mixed bag of people, ranging from old buggers (like me) to young fresh-faced ravers.
It was such a shame about Blue Mountain closing. I used to love that place, and the management — Mike and Dan (the guys I had done the Absolute Oldskool nights with, in the early noughties) — are both good mates of mine, so putting on events there was straight forward and always lots of fun.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why?
From a DJ point of view, it’s a great thing. There’s so much new stuff coming out, right? And the quality of the mastering and pressing is so much better these days. It’s difficult to play old records with the new ones because the new records just sounded phatter, cleaner, and louder. All these represses have fixed that to an extent.
It’s also great from a label perspective, having released five represses so far. Obviously because it has brought a lot of new customers to the shop who may not have found it otherwise. But something else that is really cool is, I have had untold amounts of emails from customers thanking me for making these records available at an affordable price. One guy said “I have been after Del Bosca and DSKF for many years but could not justify spending over £100 on a record. Now I have them both in my collection and you have made my day. Thank you so much and keep up the good work.” It’s a good feeling, knowing I’ve put a smile on so many faces. Priceless.
What inspired you to start the store?
Well, I am just a vinyl junkie, I guess? I’ve been selling records on and off for about 20 years (just on my own website and eBay before discogs opened its marketplace). I’d kinda stopped doing it since about 2011 after I had sold off most of my personal record collection. Then in lockdown I picked up a really good collection and re-opened my discogs store. They flew out and then I got another collection… and then another. During this time, I realised that there was something going on. There was a whole other side to the jungle (and hardcore) scene that I wasn’t really aware of.
I knew about MPS (RIP Robin), Kniteforce and Underground Music who had been re-issuing some bits and I vaguely knew about Green Bay Wax and artists like Tim Reaper, but I didn’t realise how MASSIVE it was. Simon Hughsee from Distant Planet told me about all these cool labels, and I started to dig around and was like… WOW!! Not only is there some amazing new music being made, which is right up my street, but it all comes out on vinyl as well? This really is a piece of me.
When I started buying this stuff for my own collection, I realised that there isn’t really a shop that specialises in this music. At the time I was buying bits from Red Eye and Juno and I thought “we need a shop that will specialize in this music.” And then I was watching some video on YouTube one day on how to make money online (I had just been made redundant from my van driving job). This video talked about Shopify and how easy it was to set up. This was the lightbulb moment!
You sold your records? So, you went Cold Turkey?
Yes, I did. Basically, I was living in Sittingbourne in Kent. I had moved there as I was studying for my degree in Music Tech at Canterbury College. Once I had finished the degree, I wanted to get my arse back to Bristol, but I was going through a bit of a rough patch at the time. In other words, I was fuckin skint. I had taken up playing digital music and had not been booked for a vinyl set for ages and I got this stupid idea in my head that I don’t need all this old vinyl anymore. That was my first mistake! Then I had another stupid idea that these records will stop increasing in value. Nobody will want them anymore and in 10 years’ time I will be able to buy them all back for peanuts if I want to. Wrong again!
So yeah… I went from having a collection of 5,000 down to about 400 records. I did raise enough money for a deposit to rent a house in Bristol, so it was a means to an end really. And then about 5 years ago my mate Ras from Asbo Records gave me some records and I had a vinyl mix. It was the first time I’d had a proper rinse out on vinyl for a long time and I loved it. But I kept reaching into the racks for tunes, but then realizing I don’t have that tune anymore. It was horrible! LOL. This is when I realised that I’d made a massive mistake and after a few days of really beating myself up and feeling depressed (that was my Cold Turkey) I decided that I would TRY and rebuild my collection. I had no idea how I would do that, but I thought, I am going to try anyway.
So, I have been doing that ever since and am back up to 4,000 records now. Probably about 1,000 of the records I had before were stuff I didn’t really need. I used to be on a lot of promo lists back in the 90’s and 00’s so had a lot of records that I had been sent that I didn’t really care about. So when you look at it like that, I am almost back to where I was without all the crap promos and white labels. I now have back MOST of the records I really need. There are still a couple that are eluding me, and I have become the vinyl junkie again with all the new stuff. So yeah, I have well and truly got the bug back!
So, you mentioned that you got into playing digital music? Do you prefer to play vinyl or digital these days?
To be honest I don’t have a preference. I know I’m supposed to be the vinyl junkie and all that, and I love playing vinyl to the bone. But I love playing digital music as well. Mixing vinyl and mixing digital are two totally different things in my opinion and I enjoy doing both.
You're doing something a little bit different, mixing used vinyl with new material and re-releases, was this the original plan for the shop or something that happened organically?
Organically!
What's doing it for you music-wise right now?
(Genres, artists, the whole scene really)
Genre-wise, I do like a lot of the new hardcore thats coming through, people like Arkyn, Pete Cannon, Swankout, Dwarde, T-Cuts... and plenty more... But for me, its all about the jungle really. I just love that jungle vibe man!! Stand out artists at the moment for me would have to be... Sully, Tim Reaper, RadioKillaZ, Marcus Visionary, Settle Down, Kid Lib... But theres so many more and so many different styles and flavours... Theres so much good music out there right now... Trust Me.
Tell us about your Podcast.
It’s not just a podcast it’s also a weekly radio show on a station called Eruption Radio. I play live there every Thursday morning from 10am until Midday. The recording is then uploaded to all the podcast platforms. To find it on Apple, Google, Amazon and many other platforms you can search for “Vinyl Junkie – The Eruption Radio Podcast”.
Check out the Podcast Here: https://podcast.vinyljunkie.uk/
If you are ever free on a Thursday morning between 10am and Midday, and want to tune in to the show live, there is a few ways to do this.... I would recommend downloading the EruptionRadio app. If not then you can tune in HERE
There is also a few changes coming to the show soon. Due to being super busy at the moment I am soon going to be sharing my show with Mr Caines who is a part of the Vinyl Junkie UK team and a sick DJ. He plays a similar style to me and he is going to be jumping in and doing the show with me on rotation.
What do you play on the show?
Predominantly I play Jungle. Regardless of how old or how new it is or the tempo. Sometimes it will be 160 bpm or somedays it could go up to 180. But I do also play some hardcore and theres always lots of oldskool influences. Then sometimes, randomly, I will do a show that is purely oldskool hardcore / jungle. I also have quite a few guest mixes on the show. The way I see it is, my job is to bring the vibes. And it's not just about me, I know so many amazing DJ’s and they all have their own style and their own tunes and their own vibe to bring to the show.
And yes, I do play a lot of music that is available on vinyl in the shop, of course. But it’s not just about that. It’s not just a shameless plug for the shop. It’s more about bringing all the new music to my listeners, regardless of whether it’s for sale here or not.
What record would you most like to see get the Repress treatment?
Death By Stereo. Been after this for ages. The original changes hands for 250 notes.
What's the one record you haven't got but NEED?
Tom & Jerry - We Can Be Free
I would like to say a massive thank you and send maximum love to all my friends and family and everyone that has supported me in the last year. Its been a mad one! Thank You all xx
Big Love to everyone at Eruption radio. All the team and all the listeners. Love you guys and its an honour to be a part of the team. Also, all the artist that have recorded guest mixes for my show... and all the labels that release my music or send me there music. All the promoters that book me.... All the artists that do music for my labels... Bless you all🙏🏽
One last thing... In may I am off to Unity In The Sun in Corfu. The Ultimate RAVE holiday... If any of you guys fancy it then go here for more info: https://www.unityinthesun.co.uk/ and here: https://www.facebook.com/unityinthesun
SEE YOU ON THE BEACH.
Extra Special Thanks and massive Big-Ups to: Billy 'Daniel' Bunter & Sonya, Jon Doe & Maria, Jay Cunning, Nicky Blackmarket, Ray Keith, Hilz, Kev Rogers, Megatron, Kickback, DJ Mixjah, Fat Controller, Gerald & Becks, Mad P, Austin Reynolds, Daniel Bray, Tom Bray, Ryan Ironzion & Ame, T-Cuts, Rassterlin, DJ Direkt, Andy SR, Sanxion, Mike Ind, Dan Avery, James Towler, Dave Cridge, Bunjy, John & Cath Nation, Acer-One, Zadock, Wayne Smith, Luge, Perkz, DJ Just, MC Dope, Tekno Jay, Arkyn, Pete Cannon, Swankout, Eminence, DJ Hybrid, Aries, Selecta J-Man, Subcriminal, Jim Bitch, Stivs, Anna Prank, Ed Real, Gill Phillips, Connie Moore, Mark Bollard, Paul Flint, Annie Gradwell, Paul & Emma Scoggin, Toby Bamford, Tariq Ziyad, Behnam Malek, Paul Blagrove, Luke & Melly, Rob & Freddy, TJ & Poppy, Cez Trinity, Ramjack, Jody Wisternoff, Ben Woods, Luna-C, James & Cherry Shockerwick, Simon Underground, Chris Maxey, Hughsee & Louise, Leonie Richards, Emma Beat & Mik Cree, Alex Energy & Stacey, Mad P, Darkus, Becky B, Ripper, Andy Clockwork, Mr Vee, Rob Paris, Andy Logic, Johnny B, Steve Uplift, Simon Colebrook, Lucas Morris, Digitally Mashed, Ritchie Kellingray, Phil Caines, Becky Nolan, King Yoof, Madcap, Willsy, Dave Grier, Kev & Yaz, Ballbags, Sammy D, Shaun & Danielle, Yatesy, Ady Santo, Hucky, Sammi Middle, Korben, Gemz, Sean Lilley, Markee Ledge, Colin Stevens, Oli Gould, Billy Coulstring, Danny Russel, Shane Webb, Beans and anyone i may have forgot... I have no memory... x
Cover image photography by Justin @impact 20twenty. Taken at the Pawlett Manor Reunion party a few years back at the Black Swan in Bristol.
For all my socials and all the links to listen to my Podcast go check out my link tree: https://linktr.ee/VinylJunkieUK
Heres my latest mix for ya....
Hi Mate. How’s your week going so far?
Hey, my week is going great it has been a bit hectic with new releases going out.
Can you give me a brief bit of background on yourself. How old are you, Where you were born, where you grew up, what school you went to etc
Well my real name is Samuel van Cleef but people call me Sammie. I am 46 and have been collecting records since 1990. I was born in Den Bosch and lived most of my youth in Drunen that a small town next to Den Bosch. I went to various schools to end up at the art Academy.
So musically, lets start right at the beginning… Going way back, before raving and DJing and all that good stuff… What is your very earliest musical memory?
My dad used to listen to a lot of Tom Waits and Mississippi Blues Miles Davis, but also a lot of 60’s music would pass the record player. For the tune that might be soundtrack to my youth would be Spoon Full by Howling Wolf my dad uses to play it on guitar a lot.
When you were growing up, what music was likely to being played in your house? In otherwords… What was the soundtrack to your youth? And how did this music effect your future?
It affected me in such a way that I have a big love for hip hop soul bluebeat rocksteady ska blues jazz reggae blues etc. My dad equally got me to like jungle he had a Lloyd crucial tape in his car left there by my sister, and he was playing it over and over so after a while that album I think it is the one with the red sports car on the cover really grew on me.
How was the rave scene in Holland in the 90’s? When & What was the first rave you ever went to? What was it like and and how did this change things for you?
Well the rave scene in NL was different in the 90s’. I have bin skateboarding most of my life and skateboarding and Gabber don’t mix so my 90s experience is not at Thunderdome .
But we went to the breakbeat parties and big beat and chemical beat shows with the wiseguys and chemical brothers live playing , jungle and later on DnB and yes there was some UK hardcore as well but that does not really sound like gabber. I went to Illegal acid raves where there were no gabbers Sp23 did some parties in the 90’s with a sound system called mononom so we would go there sometimes. late at night they would play really dark industrial acid. drop bass stuff. This is how I got more involved at the end of the 90’s in free party’s and travelling with sound system.
Are you a big vinyl collector? If so how many records do you have??
At the beginning of the 90’s I was just collecting my first record was a 7 inch By King Bee - Back by dope demand the first album I bought was Paris - The Devil Made Me Do It.
When did you first start learning to produce and what inspired you to do so?
I started producing with a friend in his studio with Cubase on an Atari connected to a s900 and a Dr rhythm we use for push pad with loads of weird collected synths I’m not sure which they were all a bit weird after that a friend of mine introduced me to FL studio or fruity loops at the time I have been using some different daws and thing but right now I’m back to using FL studio.
It’s a straight forward thing ( they manly all are) but easy to explain to kids. ( my son )
Why did you choose to call yourself Tommy The Cat?
Tommy the cat has a bit of a storey to tell. The name comes from a track By primus together with Tom Waits , I’m a big Primus fan and my dad was a big Tom Waits collector (both of my parents are not here anymore) so the name had some importance to me.
Being a prominent figure in Jungle how do you feel about the current state of the genre compared to the early days?
I really like the current state of Jungle, I have been collecting jungle ever since and seen it go faster more dnb more breakcore but the current state is the one I love it’s like the old days which made me fall in love with this music in the first place, but with a more new school sound and twist. It all gets me excited. I am collecting all the Samurai music releases so thats one that really catches my interest (really new school) but the Spatial releases By ASC i like a lot as well. I love Future Retro my bro Coco Bryce with Myor, the list goes on they all contribute to this now sound.
Being a prominent figure in Jungle how do you feel about the current state of the genre compared to the early days?
I think you need to keep jungle a bit to its roots (it always needs some heavy edits in the breakbeat.) and take it from there give it new school edit or glitch or just keep it oldschool and pitched put some more modern sounds in there and see what happens for me i try to keep things a bit organic sound wise but this does not mean I won’t go into a more nu sound and combine the 2.
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at a rave by a big established DJ? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing all those people going mental to something you had made?
The first one i heard playing one of my jungle tunes would probably be Coco Bryce and that felt nice. Probably at the time i was thinking i know this track but who made it to find out after 30 seconds or a minute it was my track.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
The Represses. is a good thing, i love seeing the oldschool producers getting excited and seeing them getting the attention they deserve.
+ it’s a good thing for young people to get more on the history of the music and not having to pay top money to ow a oldschool classic although records are expensive as it is right now.
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? discuss your reasoning…
Vinyl will always be there they told me in the 80's it would disappear they told me in the 90's it was going to disappear i even got shunt 9 selling ) playing records in the end of the 0's / 2010 but still it is here so i don’t think it is going to go anywhere anytime soon.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… Its amazing… whats your thoughts on this and how is it going to effect the future of the scene?
Well it’s a really good thing young people are getting involved I think it will grow specially here in NL. I’m seeing it growing with younger people getting much more involved djíng organising party’s so i think there is a bright future ahead for the genre.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff?
For me it’s kind of the same vibe it gives me oldschool goosebumps but in a newschool way.
Tell us a funny story about your adventures out on the road DJing.
Not sure if I should tell those storeys there more road trip adventures
Seeing a big rig being build up all night 2 sound systems together on a teknival i think, with one of the guys from one of the sound getting drunk waking up in the morning drunk and walking to the rig he just put together and starts pissing in the front loaded bass slides , but I’m not sure this is an appropriate storey ;) not going to name names.
Or someone having a bonfire with one of the amps that got so overloaded by the sound system it catches fire.
Buit these are the less weird storeys, when travelling with sound system systems to teknivals or warehouse raves you will see a lot of funny and weird stuff
Any final words or shouts??
Much thanks for having me I would like to give love and special thanks to my wife Saskia both my kids Tygo and Indy Flatlife ( Jack Wax) For having my back and being my friend to Coco Bryce + All the artist on my label . FFF, Riffz, Dial-m, Subreachers, Msymiakos, MsDos, Duburban, Junglefever, Dart, Tim Reaper, Pastaman, Dubtuneka, Algorithmic, Nour Fawzi, Mikey Rea, Zoomie. I hope I’m not forgetting anyone.
https://linktr.ee/catinthebagrecords
Cheers
Sam ( Tommy The Cat )
Thanks for taking the time to do the interview bro... And thanks for the guest mix which will be aired on my radio show on the 18th Jan 2024
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Hi John, I’m cool. Thanks for inviting me to do this. Much appreciated.
I’m just really excited to get this release out there, been a long time in the works. When I’ve not been at work, I’ve spent most of my time this week making videos of the tracks. Managed to get to an Old Skool House Rave in Birmingham at the weekend though, aching a bit, the 50-year-old body can’t handle the dancing like it used to.
Can you give me a brief bit of background on yourself. Where you were born, where you grew up, what school you went to etc…
I was actually born in Cheltenham, didn’t stay there long mind. I’m probably the most Brummie non Brummie you’ll ever meet. Spent all my life in Birmingham.
Didn’t really get on with school, it bored the life out of me. I had much more interesting stuff to do. I didn’t go very much at all, didn’t do any exams but it was a different era back then you could get away with it and still make sommat of yourself in life without the qualifications. I’m a mechanic by trade and work for a large 4x4 company helping develop future models, it’s a great job that I’ve been able to travel the world doing it.
I’m blessed to have a good family around me 2 kids (adults now mind), a very tolerant Wife and a very special unit of close friends.
So musically, let’s start right at the beginning… Going way back, before raves… Before Top Drawer Digital and all that good stuff… What is your very earliest musical memory?
Jumping round to a track called Hocus Pocus by Focus like a loony when I was a kid. It’s a rock song, it’s fuckin’ nuts though, still blows me away when I listen now, really you should check it out. I’m a massive fan of music that doesn’t conform.
When you were growing up, what music was likely to being played in your house? In other words… What was the soundtrack to your youth? And how did this music effect your future?
I wasn’t at home much, was out and about all the time as a lad. The Specials, The Beat, The Selector are the bands I remember listening mostly at a young age but was also listening to the 80’s electronic stuff. I hung around with lads a lot older than myself when I was young and when the Electro stuff stated coming through everyone was Breaking , Walking round with ghetto blasters and a roll of lino , as I was a lot smaller than them so they used to do tricks like spinning me on their heads which more often than not didn’t quite go to plan. That stuff really hit me…like this is it, this is what music is all about, then about 87 I reckon I got a few early house tapes and was like…WOW, would have been 14 then.
What was the first rave you ever went to? And how did affect your life!!
My Mom took me and my best mate to Ibiza in 89 and we found out what it was all about, I was 16 and it was my first experience of Acid House on a proper Sound System, pretty sure it was a club called Xtasis. French Kiss was theme tune of those 2 weeks, it was played everywhere, we did Es Paradis too amongst other places, I think that Holiday really made me realise this was for me. Had to wait till I was 18 in the UK to get going properly. My first all-nighter back home was Dance 91 at Villa Leisure Centre, now that night really changed my life, my perception of the whole scene and everything, there was no looking back from that point, I worked all week with the sole focus of paying for the next rave. As soon as one of the lads got transport, we were off all over the place every weekend for the next few years. More locally we did Pandemonium at JJ’s on a Friday then Quest in Wolverhampton on a Saturday if we could afford both or we’d venture to Shelly’s or Kinetic if there were no big all nighters happening. After we’d travel back to “The Cage” Carpark in Birmingham which was the main post rave meet up place in Birmingham, you’d have car sound systems playing and MCs like Robbie D MCing in the car park, it was quite a magical time.
What DJ really blew your mind back then?
In the beginning it was Sasha and Grooverider and although very different these guys were still playing the same raves at that point and took you on proper journeys ,moving on I think Ratty was my of favourites from that era moving from 92/93 his sound worked for me along with Top Buzz those darker Jungle Techno Vibes really excited me , Quest epitomised that sound and attitude , was one of my favourite places in the world to be at that time .
How & when did your musical career start?
Career, that’s an interesting way of putting it. makes it sound like I’ve made some sort of living at it. Music is a massive part of my life yea , but by the time I started producing it was too risky for me to dedicate myself to it completely, that I believe is what you “HAVE” to do if your ever gonna make a career of it and I have upmost respect for those that do. It’s been more like a rather large hobby to me in reality. Got my first Synth a Roland XP50 around 1997 as I remember.
When did you first start learning to produce and are you self-taught or did you go to college…
Completely self-taught… When I got that XP50, what a mission it was. As a workstation you could program stuff in the little LCD window, it had great sounds, but I never had a clue and actually got really frustrated with it in the beginning, didn’t have YouTube tutorial videos back then, the struggle was real. I expanded it with a Techno Expansion Card and little Akai s20 sampler that I used the XP50 to trigger. It was tough. I had a Roland MC 505 for a while that was easier to put tracks together in but getting my first PC was the turning point.
I got a Cubase VST 32 / Halion package and although that took a while to get to grips with too once I did, I started to become much happier with my output. I was making mainly house / techno stuff for years…badly to be honest. I stumbled on J-Tek around 2008 and it reignited my love of the sounds of my youth. I’d stepped away from the hardcore / Jungle scene when it got really moody and the MC’s started thinking it was all about them and went back to house / techno clubs. I missed the whole development of DnB if I’m honest, I’ve always preferred slightly lower tempos. Well making J-Tek at 140-50bpm with old skool sounds just worked for me, everything clicked into place, it just felt right, like I’d found my calling in life.
What artists / producers do you see as your main Influences and why?
I don’t really have specific artists or producers that spring to mind, I love good music and just try to be the best version of me that I can production wise. I listen to a lot of music, mainly electronic yes but from a wide spread of genres, I try not to be too structured in how I produce music, I’m quite erratic and draw influences from many different sources. DM used to tell me off all the time for making non-DJ friendly intros, but I make music for me as a rule, try and tell a story. Think I’ve got a bit better over the years. I am inspired by the people around me that are doing well for themselves musically too, producers that aren’t afraid to push the envelope and try new things and strive to better themselves with each release.
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at a rave / club? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing people dancing to something you had made?
I went to a J-Tek night in Birmingham run by Jay Tee from Konflict radio, pretty sure it was called REFRESH, He had been championing my Antichrist track on his radio shows and that night Pilgrim played it. It was quite a surreal feeling, as you know John, I like a dance but whenever I hear one of my own tracks played, I tend to stop and just watch everyone else in a trance like state. It’s an awesome feeling.
Back in 2009, you launched Top Drawer Digital. Was there a specific thing that inspired you to start the label?
There weren’t many labels at that time releasing the music we were producing / playing we were getting sent so many dubs weekly, there was a buzz around the “J-Tek” sound. It just felt like the right thing to do. Not just for releasing my own stuff but to rep the whole sound.
You had a long running Radio show with Digitally Mashed as the official DJ. How did this all come about and how did you guys meet?
We had both stumbled on the J-Tek sound around the same time (2008) and were in the same Radio chat rooms of other DJ’s playing stuff as well as his own shows. Pilgrim, Jay Tee and Glen Aston were all championing the sound. From memory the stations were DnBMidlands, Konflict Radio DoubleD. We met some great people via those shows and when I decided to start the label it was the logical thing to do it with DM. I’m not a DJ and a label needs one, we’ve been a great team. He sorts out the mixes, does the radio shows, plays the clubs which leaves me to do the other stuff. Pretty sure the first Top Drawer Digital Show was on Nu-Rave.Com, Kidson ran the station and gave us loads of support. We spent a few great years there, a few hours a week and if DM ever had to miss a show, we had a roster of artists more than willing to step in. Need to mention Big Will and SS Taggart at this point, they were pretty much non official TDD members, it was so exciting back then a real buzz getting sent dubs minutes before the shows sometimes. We eventually moved on and spent many years with NSB Radio which has sadly gone now. Me and DM don’t actually meet up in person often but that’s never mattered we just clicked, we’re on the same level, have the same ethos, it just worked. I couldn’t have done it without him.
How did you find artists to sign in the very early days?
There was so much unsigned music around us it was easy; we could be very selective right from the off then there were a few you had to put the effort in to make sure they knew although we were a new label, we planned on doing things properly. over time we developed a good backbone of regulars some of which stayed with us for the whole journey, the likes of Strange Rollers, Pressa, Sanxion, Beagle, Bojcot, Gav Ley, Radiokillaz, The Rumblist, Beagle, Schoco and yourself have been putting stuff out with us for a long time now. Swankout joined us a bit further into the journey and although he might not have been around quite as long as some definitely left his mark on the TDD sound too. We’ve always tried to break new artists as well; the albums were great for that they give you a bit of breathing room.
Compilation albums have always been a BIG feature of the label. Was there a concept for each album series or an overall theme?
In the beginning it was a great way to showcase what we were about, the Back & Forth series highlighted our “No Rules” mentality, just good Old Skool Vibed music that crossed genres. DM’s sets always tried to encompass the full spectrum of the sound and that’s what we wanted to be as a label too. Also, it was a good way to get new producers involved whilst keeping our artist roster backbone. The Future Jungle Expeditions series maybe narrowed that field a bit, but we still tried to capture the extremities within that sound. I’m very proud of those albums, think they really capture a moment in time. I’ve also always tried to curate our albums as if they were an artist album rather than a standard compilation. I’ve always tried to make them flow, take you on a journey. The 10 Year album was a celebration of our sound a 20 tracker and was a lot of work pulling it together but well worth it., pretty sure that’s the only album we did that didn’t bring someone new into the fold. The Abstractions series was getting us back to that full breadth of sounds telling stories of what TDD is all about. I think if you listen to any of the Abstractions Albums it’ll give you a pretty good indicator as to what we’re about. As I knew this last one was gonna be our final release and our 100th, It had to be pretty spectacular. If I’m honest it took me a lot longer to get sorted than I ever imagined but I think the final product tells how much effort was put in by all involved. I loved the USB release Jay Cunning had done with Kniteforce and knew I had to do the same for this one. Chris gave me the details of where they got them done and I got straight on the case, The USBs are amazing, one of the best things we’ve put together. Mr Bunter saying that it was his release of the year really touched me too, you know when your peers show their appreciation of sommat you’ve put your heart and soul into …. That hits hard.
From 2009 to 2023, is there a favourite year of yours in TDD history?
Had great times in every year but being put on the spot, probably 2011, winning the Nu-Rave Awards Best label category really meant a lot, I had no idea, I was there and was shell shocked when they said who’d won. You were there mate, think you won best album for Future Rave Anthems? Me and DM also came down for Bunter’s Future Jungle Special on Kool with, You, Sanxion, Kid C and Strange Rollers that year too, Electrux didn’t make it in body, proper character there that was a big part of the TDD journey too... Great times.
A firm favourite of many is Sub Fusion - Psychotic Bleeps. I understand it has a bit of a history and took some time to sign to the label. Could you share the story?
It’s one of my favourites too, it was a bit of a J-Tek anthem back in 2009/10 everyone was playing it, but it wasn’t released. In vibe it sort of reminds me of Earth Leakage Trip: No Idea, just has sommat about it so special, the tip of darkness / mystery. Think I tried to sign it for our first album, Back & Forth Volume 1 but we were a new entity, an unknown quantity and I get why they didn’t go for it. A few years later and it’s still getting played everywhere but still not signed so I reapproached them and they gave me a 4 track EP, not only that but they’ve stuck around with us too. Sub Fusion is DJ Vapour and Skink, they’ve both done tracks for us with their individual alias’s too other than Sub Fusion and even after having stuff out on Metalheadz they’ve still found time to give us music.
Of all your own personal productions for TDD, which is your favourite and why?
As a final product it’s Probably a remix if I’m honest. of dYstance: Keep in Mind. put my heart and soul into it, I don’t believe in lazy remixes and think I did a good job on this one, keeping the original recognisable but stamping myself all over it. The rest of my original stuff, I generally don’t have favourites, they all represent where I’m at the time of producing them. I think my production may have got better over the years but some of the earlier stuff was more experimental, moving forward I want to give myself a bit of room to experiment more and find that balance.
So… Abstractions Vol 3… TDD100… which is sadly the final TDD release – Tell us a bit about the album and what made you decide it to end it here?
I’ve been toying with the idea of finishing TDD for a while , It’s been a good run , it’s a hard slog running a label and I just think it’s time to concentrate on myself a bit , DM has took a bit of a step back DJing wise over the past few years for his own reasons so the radio shows etc stopped but the main reason is that the one main thing that has suffered trying to fit everything in amongst work , family , label , music production is me making music and that’s where I’m happiest , creating. I don’t regret any of it, it’s just I’ve struggled with time for a while but could see the 100th release not too far in the distance and though it was achievable and would be the perfect end point. We were obviously gonna make a big deal of it and as I thought the Abstractions series so far was really representing the full spectrum of what we do that that would be a good ending. I tried to get as many of the artists we’ve dealt with in the past involved and sort of gave them free reign on where to take their track within our sound. It was apparent quite soon that it was gonna be a massive release, it’s a 36-track journey through what we are all about, really think it encapsulates our essence. We also stayed true to our ethos and pulled in some new blood, I’ve always loved getting new producers involved and then generally they stick around and bolster your squad. Getting Outrage to do a track for it meant a lot to me too, If I hadn’t have stumbled upon J-Tek Records back then TDD probably wouldn’t be in existence, so it feels like we’ve gone full circle. I’ve made so many good friends via TDD, people I’ll probably deal with for the rest of my life.
So, this is the end of the road for TDD… But what about Lucas the producer. Will you continue to make music?
I can’t ever see myself not making music. I’m lucky that I’ve got a lot of good people around me that I’ve met during my time running TDD that will put some bits and bobs out for me and I’m not saying there won’t be another label in the future, time will sort that out. We had a side project called Bass Elements that I might use to self-release a few bits if required, I’m just gonna take some time to work it all out.
So, keeping with the production theme now… What DAW do you use and have you always used that one? Have you tried any of the others?
I’m 100 % Cubase, have been since that first copy of VST 32 I brought. It does everything I need a DAW to do and I’m only scratching the surface, I’m sure. I’m on 12 at the moment with Halion 6 but think a 13 / 7 upgrade will be my Christmas present to myself.
There are a few little things that I’ve seen that Ableton does that I like but not enough for me to move over. I’m pretty much all in the box these days too. I’ve got a little half rack JV1010 that has all my old XP50 sounds in as well as my Techno Card and I’ve got a Behringer TD-3 and a Polyend Tracker but that’s it. The TD-3 is a bit of a toy really, a bit of fun, it sounds good but it’s just not any good for my workflow. I tend to use the ABL3 plug in instead. The Polyend Tracker is fun to use, and I’ll occasionally throw something together in there, it can capture that old skool vibe very well but then I’ll bounce the stems and rebuild it all in Cubase. My “Studio” is actually a section of the family living room, so compromises have had to happen obviously. I make 90% of my music on headphones, My DT770’s have served me well over many years, I use Sonarworx to correct them a bit too. My monitors are little KRK Rokit 5’s , they get some stick for sound quality but I only use them for over checking stuff , I can’t warrant getting better monitors in an untreated room, I have a Subpac for monitoring low end , that’s a game changer and I recommend them to anyone who can’t produce using a sub woofer. I’ve literally just took delivery of some shiny new Beyer DT1770’s too, hopefully they’ll serve me as well as the 770’s have.
What one plug-in could you not live without? Tell us why?
Output – Thermal, I use it on multiple tracks / groups in everything I produce sometimes hardly noticeably but it adds such a warmth to tracks and then if you want to push it, it can be quite aggressive too but with a great tone. I own all the Output VST’s and love em, they’re all awesome.
So… Vinyl Junkie UK is a record store, so we always like to talk about vinyl a bit… So please tell us… what was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
Ian Dury: Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick is the first one I remember buying, No Idea how old I would have been but very young.
Top Drawer never ventured into the vinyl realm… Is there a reason for this?
I think the main reason is that as I’ve never been a DJ, I just don’t have that same affinity for Vinyl that others from that era do. The lead times for getting stuff out there are much longer, with digital we could get the tracks out quick and without the outlay of vinyl, which is a massive risk in our scene, I have upmost respect for all those that take that risk but for me it didn’t make sense. I’m sure DM would have loved a few TDD Vinyl releases, maybe sometime in the future there might be a Top-Drawer Vinyl release, never say never.
I think with digital there is more freedom to experiment, take a risk on some more niche stuff. Some of my favourite TDD tracks have bombed sales wise but even knowing that I’d still release them, they helped shape our sound. Art is subjective, sales don’t make art any better or worse just more popular to your current audience at that given time.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
It’s been nice for me to pick up a couple of things that I didn’t have on repress and if it’s giving some of those artists an extra payday and the opportunity for people who didn’t have the originals a chance to get their hands on them then fair play. I bet it’s hit the price of some of the originals though? Bet some collectors aren’t so happy?
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? Discuss your reasoning…
I think it’s probably peaked, there will always be a hardcore following but the world just aint that way inclined anymore as I see it and as the younger generation comes through interest will drop off, I think.
Are you a record collector yourself, if so, how many records do you have??
I’m not a collector, as such, no I used to buy records before mixtapes came along just so I could listen to the music but as I’m not a DJ the mixtapes were much more cost effective at the time. Then some tracks you just can’t get digitally and there’s a few I just like to have a vinyl copy of. We’re talking amounts I own as in a few hundred. I’ll support the people around me too, I have records I’ve never played that I’ve only brought to support the artist. If I’ve got a digital copy, why would I put a record on?
What are your 3 most treasured records (give a little bit of info on each one why they are so special to you)
This is hard…. I reckon it changes all the time.
At this moment right now thinking about it: my copy of the first crucial electro, that reminds me so much of me finding electronic music. Man Parish “Hip Hop Be Bop”, Hashim “Al Naafish” and Cybertron “Clear” take me right back every time.
Then it’s a couple of 12” that took me a while to find out what they even where and I only got them in the past few years.
Lex Loofah “Freaky Deaky” on WARP and Channel “Dubious Kettle (Acid Over Hornchurch Mix)” on Loud & Proud.
Both those tracks are a bit of me and the sort of stuff I was into around 93/94 when I started stepping away from the hardcore / jungle scene.
Also need to mention that I’m pretty stoked that Shilton put a track of mine on Vinyl for Something System Records a year or so ago, great label with a great attitude.
What record is top of your wants list?
Don’t have one tbh , I see the odd thing here and there and buy it , got the Acen , Shades of Rhythm and N-Joy boxed sets over the last few years and also picked up Earth Leakage Trip – No Idea on Re-release recently and The Sub Focus 3 x Disc Album just to get Last Jungle on vinyl.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… It’s amazing… whats your thoughts on this and how is it going to affect the future of the scene?
It’s great aint it and it will be those young talents who are the most creative, they’ll take the sound to the next level do sommat new with it, keep it alive.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff in your opinion?
A lot of it is much better produced, I’m a fan of the stuff that isn’t afraid to evolve, keep those vibes / sensibilities but move the sound forward. I do like polished music but sometimes that Old Skool grittiness is needed too, it’s a fine balance.
Any final words or shouts??
There are so many people, I could mention, just too many, there’s some great people in our scene. All the artists who let us put their music out on TDD and helped us shape the TDD sound, All the DJ’s that have played our tracks, anyone that’s ever brought our music, anyone who’s wrote a blog or magazine article, everyone who’s helped me with advice / guidance over the years. You all know who you are, and it’s greatly appreciated.
Obviously, my right-hand man Digitally Mashed, we’ve been a good team and have to mention Ritchie K (Strange Rollers) who in my opinion is as much a part of TDD as me and DM. He has helped my development massively over the years and had a huge impact on the TDD sound. Eddie Voyager, he did all our mastering for years and without him I doubt we wouldn’t have done those early albums. Tariq needs a shout too, proper unsung hero of our scene. Then my Wife for putting up with my music obsession for all these years.
A final word.
Thanks for having us 😊
We have a great scene here around us and if you can, help support the artists / labels you love.
If you can afford it buy their physical items, vinyl, cd’s, usb’s, merchandise or digital downloads from them directly via websites or Bandcamp so the funds get straight to them and enable them to keep doing what they do. There are a lot of costs, time and effort required to get good music to your ears and streaming it doesn’t really help them at all.
If you can’t afford it, a like or repost on social media can go a long way too and costs nothing.
Take care of the underground sounds.
The amazing Abstractions 3 album is available to buy now as a USB or digital download. The triple CD version has already sold out.
Grab your copy from the Top Drawer Digital Bandcamp
Catch Digitally Mashed doing his TDD history mix today at 10am on the Vinyl Junkie Show... ERUPTION RADIO. YOU CAN TUNE IN HERE:
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Things are good, I have had a normal day job for 5 years now, since spending around 9 years bringing up my kids. I am steadily progressing to new heights in my job, I will go into that in a later question. My kids are still being driven around to school and clubs so this takes up a lot of my time and energy, so am looking forward to the summer holidays and the break from the routines.
Can you give me a brief bit of background on yourself. Where you were born, where you grew up, school life etc… and what did you do for work before you started in the music game?
I live in Bedford, where I was born and grew up. I went to 3 standard comprehensive state schools, and lived on the same estate as Jaimie (Norman) and Matty (leeson) who I would go on to dj and produce with. There were lots of kids from all sorts of backgrounds, in and out of each others houses in a time where you went out in the morning and every day could be a different adventure, and then come home for tea when it was dark. That said I was into toys for a long time, so Star Wars, Action Force, Transformers and M.A.S.K occupied my mind alot more than football or anything physical really.
So musically, lets start right at the beginning… Going way back… What is your very earliest musical memory?
So my parents were from the 60’s, my Dad was a mod, but my mum always liked Reggae. They are both fully english but I grew up in a house where soul, mostly Stax and Motown was played. Percy Sledge - When a man loves a woman was my Dads Sunday song, he worked hard and had probably worked all night so always played this song loud on a Sunday morning, to unwind or reflect I’m not too sure, but the b-line came up the wall and woke me up on many a morning. But that said the music from 70’s and 80’s kids TV was maybe more of an influence, as I didn’t show any interest in music until I was 12, but obviously always absorbing it.
When you were growing up, what music was likely to being played in your house? And how did this music effect you?
So from the Soul, a little bit of Kenny Rogers/Dr Hook/Dolly Parton from my dad, my mum also had a bit of UB40/Level 42/Paul Young going on. But of course we were always absorbing the radio and top of the pops through the early and mid 80s. My sister was into Adam Ant, then Michael Jackson, but then Electro/LL Cool J/Run DMC started to come through around 85. She started to throw in Lovers Rock into this mix.
So my Dads vibes was always a bit bluesy and melancholic, whilst my Mum had some upbeat blue eyed soul vibes, but really the Reggae and Hip Hop from my sister (she had a tape of Public Enemy It takes a nation of millions to hold us back) which shaped me in 1990 getting into De La Soul, Public Enemy, Gangstarr alongside the UK acts like Demon Boyz, Hijack, London Posse etc.
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
So first records were novelty records, so Love Me Tender by Roland Rat, and then Hole In My Shoe by Neil from the Young Ones. My first ‘grown up’ purchase was Fear of A Black Planet by Public Enemy in 1991, but around the same time I also bought Nightmares on Wax ‘Aftermath’
What was the first rave you ever went to? What year was this and how did affect your life!!
So I wanted to go to them all in 1992, but was only 14 so couldn’t quite get the clearance with the crew I was hanging around with. Jaimie was 3 years older than me though and had a license, so in 1993 I was hanging around with him and Matty as we were all DJing and into it all big together. So May 1993 (I was still 14 I thought about that today) we snuck into Dreamscape IV at the Sanctuary Milton Keynes about 3:30 in the morning after trying to buy tickets and waiting for touts etc…someone knocked on a door with an empty said they had to bring it it, a raver must have opened the door as it stayed open long enough for me an J to get in. We saw what seemed like thousands of ravers going off to Dave Angel. The music didn’t grab me. But then….on comes LTJ Bukem. This set changed my life. I had been buying and following the scene since summer of 92, but this was a set from another planet, from the future.
When did you first start learning to produce and are you self taught or did you go to college…??
We got advised from who I think was Rob Haigh from Omni Trio as we used to go to Parliment Records in Hitchen, and he suggested around this time, May 93, we start to make music to get into the dub plate circles to get the upfront stuff to make us bookable as DJs. So I got an Amiga 500 for my 15th birthday, and Technosound, and Octomed off the cover of a magazine. I then spent a lot of my time cutting up beats, learning to arrange, how and where to sample from etc. So all self taught, but we were all learning together. In 1995 Jaimie sold his decks so we could invest in a Akai-S950 and I sold the Amiga to buy an Atari ST and we started down the route of making stuff at higher bitrate. I know the Amiga sound is and always will be cool, we never mastered the art of mixing it properly, as the plates from 1995 will show, with delay on everything and raw mix downs straight to DAT.
So your production career started back in 1996 when you were signed to Reinforced Records as a part of the production trio Static Imprint? Tell us about this and how the link up with Reinforced happened?
So with all the tunes we made in 1994-95 as we learnt the Amiga we sent out a demo tape, which none of us still have and would love to hear, to Basement records, Reinforced, Labello Blanco (which somehow ended up with the guy that ran Deep and Dark in Luton). We met all of them, and had the same chat with all that we needed to invest in more gear. Around this time we made Dont Know Why and Hypnotize at Koolword in Luton (maybe the guy from Deep and Dark hooked us up as Brian ‘DJ Undacut’ was the engineer), but we couldn’t quite capture the energy from the Amiga version, so this was never signed.
So investing in the ST, Akai and some crazy old 70s 8 channel desk, we made 4 tracks, 2 of which made it to become the Static Imprints release, signed late 95 and released 96.
Soon after this you became Sonar Circle with Jaimie Norman. You guys had quite a few releases together on Reinforced right? Tell us about that and are you guys still working together ?
So obviously it was a massive deal for us to go to Dollis Hill. It was like going to meet your teen hero, whilst still a teen. Matty left so Sonar Circle was just Jaimie and me. we made a few things with the studio at his house, it grew from time and we begged stole and borrowed effects, keyboards, DAT recorders, whatever we could to get stuff down. We carried on like this until we got to Enforcers Beginning Of The End. Jaimie had a life changing condition, he is fine now, but I had to go it alone from there on in mostly as Sonar Circle.
Jaimie and I have been mates since then, we do the odd tune together now back and forth, we really want to do something a bit more futuristic and ‘now’ but time and equipment are limited, so we just noodle along. But if we do get something finished it will be a new Sonar Circle outing.
Matty less so, he makes and spins deep house nowadays. We grew up together and know a lot about each others history and family from when we grew up, but led our own lives at different paces, but are still cool and speak now and again.
Did you guys play out much and what was your most memorable gig??
We started DJing together from 92, so our first gigs and everything were together. We never played out officially together as Sonar Circle as the reasons above made that difficult. We both used to play as SOS and Dom-unique at Evolution, an under 18 rave at the Sanctuary. In 94 we shared the bill with DJ Rap, Dougal, SY and I’m sure at one point Jaimie played before Bukem, which was another massive moment for us.
So on to your most recent incarnation… Sonar’s Ghost… I’m intrigued why you chose that name?
There was a Sonar Circle tune called Starscream’s Ghost, which is an episode of the Transformers cartoon from 1986. After I retired all of the names in 2009, I only really didn’t do any music at all for about 3 years, so the ghost is just a reference to the characters creeping back into the story. Yeah they died but you still hear the odd echo from them now and again.
So its all about the old classic jungle sound? When and why did you start making this style and what/who inspired you to do so ??
So I was there doing it on the Amiga, but I was 15/16 and by the time I was 18 the sound had moved on to 2 step, clown step, tech step, whatever. The breaks and the warmth had gone. So I moved on around 1999 to start doing Domu with Dego and the Bugz etc. It meant I really didn’t check into Drum and Bass at all, save for a few choice cuts that caught my ear. So in 2010 when I had stopped doing music full time, I started listening again for fun, filling in some gaps in my digi collection for my earliest of loves, 92 then 93,94,95 etc then I caught up to filling in some good stuff I missed through the 2000s, but then I got wise to the Footwork gig, and Philip D Kick bootlegs of all the classics. So this was brining all kinds of new energy and influence to the scene, plus Dub one, Sci Wax, Rupture, Tim Reaper were all starting to make noise. So with my old friend who ran Two Hungry Ghosts (of which I wasn’t a Ghost) we started putting stuff on a Bandcamp, plate rips and any files I had, but also new bits made in an old style. Going back to the time I was slightly too young or didn’t have the gear to make that Amen smasher or the 94 summer jungle hit. It wasn’t reinventing the wheel, it was a bit like buying a Ferrari, but I could do it in my sleep and it was a fund creative outlet, so instead of Call of Duty I fiddled with this stuff again in my down time.
Do you do music full time or do you have a “Day-Job” ?
I always temped in admin in local government/council jobs when I wasn’t making money from music, so when I eventually stopped I ended up back my local council. I have worked in Environmental Health and Housing, but now work in HR as a project manager and really enjoy it. I was full time music 1999 - 2009 which meant I did all the travelling, managing my time and money, bought a house, got married, basically grew up doing it, which was tricky at times. I made 10 albums in 10 years, countless remixes and singles- I went at it hard whilst I was in my 20s.
What DAW do you use?... and do you still have hardware? Give us a quick breakdown of your studio?
No hardware, just some Rockit 5 monitors now, and Ableton 10 on a 2018 Mac. Sometimes I get the controllers out, for doing mixes on Djay or keyboard for writing, but I get so little time or energy it is like a full moon occurrence when I do.
What Plug-in could you not live without??
Meh to plug-ins. Maybe for making Broken Beat stuff that needs vintage keyboards, but for Jungle, its all samples.
What releases do you have lined up?
My big one is the Metalheadz Platinum - The Fall and Rise Of Ep out this month. I think after that I have a remix of Dev Null on Future Retro, but nothing else finished or planned. I am thinking of doing some Domu stuff, so changing it up and giving the Junglists wallet a break as they have so much to keep up with nowadays, and also sometimes feel I have had so many records out I should give the kids a chance!
So on to DJing… What DJ’s really inspired you back in the 90’ and why?
I think Hip Hop Djing, so at the start Dj Premiere, and also the Djs from Gunshot/Hardnoise/Hijack etc, super fast scratching. When I used to listen to rave tapes I started notice who could mix the best, and it was Hype/Randall/Bukem always up there for me. My cousin Eugene ‘Double E’ English also started in 91, so when I heard his tapes and tunes I thought I should have a go. Also, I could never dance or socialise much, so looking back I realise It gave me something to do whilst I was in the years of my life I had to be in nightclubs.
When did you first start learning to mix records and what inspired you to do so?
I first had some tapes early 92 from Dreamscape whatever, my sisters tape deck played both cassettes at the same time, so I started to work out timing to get tunes in time from one set to another. I had no control and just fluked it, but had the idea before I even had decks. Also I used to cut from tape to record on my old midi hifi, so could use the buttons like a fader to learn to scratch on the deck. I got my first soundlabs in July 1992, and six records to learn to mix jungle on (along with some other random stuff). These were Bad Girl/Frontline/150bpm and the green one on Ibiza records, Baby Kane Good Good Sensi and Edge Of Darkness Come Together. I was only 14 so had no money, but got a £5 pocket money now and again and could buy the odd 12, but used to save up to go to Black Market or Lucky Spin, but mostly Soul Sense in Luton.
When and where was your first gig and what are your memories of this night?
I played at a kind of youth club in a dis-used part of Bedford College around 93. It was packed and I remember the feeling sick, the smell of the dry ice. The only tune I can remember playing was Scott and Keith -Deranged Bonus Drums mix, so Im not sure if that dates that any better, but I was proud to have that on promo. We dreamed of having a dub plate, but a white label, Test Press or promo was the next best thing.
Vinyl DJing Vs Digital DJing… What do you prefer and why? And how do they differ?
It’s easier to Dj in the modern short attention span style with digi, but I would never say one requires more skill than the other. It’s a lot easier to mime to a pre-mix with all DJ sets so often a real record shows a DJ has some of the original skills, but the imagination, talent and dedication required to do something original with digi is not in anyway a lesser art than the vinyl purist set.
Do you do many gigs as Sonar’s Ghost? Got much lined up?
No when I retired that was the only thing I said I wouldn’t go back to, clubs touring and live performance. And I still haven’t and won’t.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
I just want them digi as I don’t collect, but if the person that made the tune represses it nad makes a few quid, everyone is happy. So Bizzy B, Baby Kane, Intense, Foul Play all had great well received re-releases of expensive 12”s. I appreciate those that hung on for the re-sell value of some things may be out of pocket, but it’s the Toy Story argument - do you buy a toy to sit on a box for 20 years then re-sell at 4 times the price, or do you let your child play with it. I think you play with it, and enjoy the times and memories it create.
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? discuss your reasoning…
If it dies out again because of the financial times we live in, then it will come back. I may be in my 60s then, but it is always a 20 odd year cycle. So the people who started this resurgence in 2010 might be having families now, money is tighter, they might drop off. Equally if distributors and clubs go down that is a sign that people are moving on a bit. Thing is if there are 300 people around the world that want a record, it was worth pressing up (whereas in the 90s you could shift 3000). But the cost of shipping means these hobbyists that are spread around the world may not all club in as much, and as soon as stock piles up, the feeling grows that the game is up. Ive seen it at Reinforced, at Goya with Broken Beat. you can’t stay hot and on top forever, this second time round people have learnt from years of errors and set to safer models - on the whole most people have a day job, so I often refer to it as the ‘Fungle’ scene. People do it in their spare time, but with passion and integrity. That is what I value most, doing it for the love. I know it sounds naff, but it certainly can’t be for the money right?
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at a rave or in a club by a big established DJ? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing all those people going mental to something that you released?
Nothing really until I was Domu at Co-op did I have tunes I would hear at Plastic People in Old Street. An incredible system where my peers would play tunes, dubs or releases, and people would know it and sing along. Save It was co-written with Dego 4Hero and on his label 2000Black. That was my proudest moment, in Plastic People, eyes shut, feeling the bass and hearing everyone singing along. Vibes!
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… Its amazing… whats your thoughts on this and how is it going to effect the future of the scene?
Its like us in the 90s digging the breaks from the 70’s, or getting into fusion, boogie or rarw groove. We weren’t there but we felt it. I got into alot of Jazz, Rare Groove Fusion etc via 4 Hero and the samples, so when I was making more complex music as Domu, or even Hip Hop, no one ever said I hadn’t earned it, I was just trying it out, how I felt my version of these things should be. I think people who step to the original sound do it with incredible attention to detail and enthusiasm for how it was made, especially those that collect and use hardware. It takes time and dedication and I have lots of respect for the Kid Libs/Dwarde/Pete Cannons etc.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff? In your opinion.
I think it is just as good, and in some ways tighter and louder. You must be careful to not polish it too much, but people with the right sounds and ear for detail will do it properly. I haven’t really heard much fake or cardboard versions of the sound. I hear the odd pop producer having a go at referencing it, like a new Sugababes, All Saints or Oli Murs song or whatever, but this just shows it is running around the public consciousness again. To most of us jungle only really went away for 10-15 years, but most people it died after 1994 when ‘Incredible’ left the charts and they are being cool by referring to it. I guess the 20-30 year olds grew up with it around them and are curious about chasing the original sound like in the 90s when I wanted to know about The 70s.
Do you have a big record collection? If so how many and how long have you been collecting?
Nope, just a few hundred tunes I hung onto and all my records I ever made, which must be around 2-300 or so.
What are your 3 most treasured records (give a little bit of info on each one why they are so special to you)
Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy - I searched for this 12” for years after loving it when it came out in 1991. Pre Discogs or internet you had to find records in shops. I found this when a local DJ Ronnie T sold some of his collection when he owned a shop in Bedford around 1994. I also nearly lost it giving it to an ex girlfriend but still managed to get it back!
Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet - my first grown up record, so I know every beat and single word, read and re read the cover a million times. So many white kids learned so much about Black Power through PE!
Static Imprints - Catch 20 - our first record on Reinforced. It’s obvious why your first release means so much. I had a school photo in the 6th form taken holding it.
What record is top of your wants list?
I would like the original Oxford Ardcore pressing of Wots My Code The Dubplate Ep.
Tell us a crazy / random / funny story about something that has happened to you whilst out and about DJing
Once I was in Finland and I went to another club after finishing my set and left my record bag and another with my passport/clothes etc backstage as I knew the promoters. These 2 local Finnish DJs were there playing cards and drinking, so I assumed they would see if anyone else came in. I went out to enjoy the Brazilian band Azymuth. They finished, I went to get my bags, they were gone. I ran up the stairs and looked down the street - both my bags were on the shoulders of these 2 Djs (who both looked a bit like ginger Bee Gees) and they were about 100 meters down a hill getting to a cross street. I ran as fast as I could, they were falling about all over the place as they were clearly more drunk than I was, and I tackled them onto the floor. This spilled out on to Helsinkis High Street, so I instantly gathered lots of attention. The Police were there in seconds, but I hadn’t hurt or hit anyone. they asked what was I doing, I said they had stole my bags. They said prove it - I pulled out my passport! And they let me go. It was like something from a cartoon or film!
FINAL QUESTION…. From the heart… please tell me, what jungle music means to you… And what you see as your mission as a producer/DJ in the jungle scene.
Jungle is my first love, it was the so when I really felt like I was done with music I went back to it, and it showed me the simple harmony of all the things from my formative years how they all came together. It is a simple, fun, warm collection of sounds that just brings me and countless others joy. I grew up with it, so it feels like a sibling I care for deeply. I’m glad when it is doing well but when it went somewhere I didn’t feel, I let it do what it had to, and now I can’t see it moving away from that sweet spot in 92-96 where there were real drum breaks, the bass was warm and deep and it could be happy, it could dark, it could be ragga, it could be mellow. So much still to experiment with and potential.
Any final words??
Thank you for hosting the mix and the questions, and your continued passion for the music.
To the punters, just enjoy it, at home, in a club, in a field, online, in a shop, on vinyl, whatever. This is our punk music, we all made this together over 30 years ago and it is still going strong.
Social Links etc….
soundcloud.com/sonarsghost
bandcamp.com/sonarsghost
No insta, Twitter, Facebook etc.
Respect
Dom
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Marcus Visionary has been at the forefront of the Jungle DNB scene in Toronto Canada before it's very inception. He's often referred to as Canada's #1 DNB & Jungle export as well as being an ambassador for the ever-evolving Jungle DNB sound worldwide. Marcus is one of the few artists out of North America who has built a strong foundation in the U.K & Europe as well as in the U.S. The journey started in 2004 when he was personally signed to the legendary Digital Soundboy family by Shy FX himself. Marcus joined the elite all-star line-up alongside the likes of Benny Page, Breakage, Mark System, Stamina MC & B Traits. Since then, he has travelled the world and played some of the biggest festivals and clubs representing his unique take on the Jungle DNB sound. Priding himself on upfront selection, clean mixing, musical versatility, and a keen ability to read any crowd. Not to mention his collection of Dubplate specials which is something that has earned him fans the world over.
We thought it was time we caught up with Marcus for a little chin-wag…
Hi Mate. How's things and what have you been up to this week??
Things have been extra busy & hectic recently. I had to move my parents on Saturday, then close the Destiny presents Pendulum show from 2-4 a.m. on Friday at Coda nightclub. It was one of the hardest days I've actually experienced in my career. Started the day at 6:30 a.m. and got to bed after 6 a.m. When life & work collide it makes you stronger, but it was challenging mentally & physically.
Can you give me a brief bit of background on yourself. Where you were born, where you grew up, what school you went to etc… and what did you do for work before you started in music?
I was born in a suburb of Toronto called Scarborough. I spent my Public school years in an area called Malvern. It was very ethnically mixed. Many people from the Caribbean, italian & greek etc. It was a melting pot of culture. I went to Malvern Junior Public school. The area was a little rough around the edges so in Grade 6 my parents decided to move us East to get me away from any bad elements. We moved to East Scarborugh which at the time was a calmer less urban area. My love of music definitely started when we lived in Malvern. My neighbours Peter & Chris Wilson were into DJ'ing, Rollerskating, & Breakdancing. As a young kid I gravitated toward all of these things. Experiencing the birth of Hip Hop from Electro. I was immersed in Funk music of that era. My family is Guyanese so Caribbean music & culture also had a major impact on my musical tastes.
So musically, lets start right at the beginning… Going way back, before raves, before jungle, before Digital Soundboy, Liondub, Inner City Dance and all that good stuff… What is your very earliest musical memory?
My family sponsored my relatives from Guyana to Canada, so we always had family staying with us. Our house was a meeting place for our family starting out in Canada. When the weekend came it was parties, getting together etc. My cousins would take turns setting up speakers in the basement for larger parties. Watching my families house parties had a massive impact on me. The way the music was programmed thru the night. From Soul, Rnb, Funk, Disco, to Calypso, Soca, Reggae, & golden oldies or slow dancing music. There was an art to programming those nights and creating atmosphere & manipulating peoples emotions. I think I learned how to read a crowd even before I learned how to DJ.
When you were growing up, what music was likely to being played in your house? In other words… What was the soundtrack to your youth? And how did this music effect your future?
I grew up on a melting pot of Caribbean music. Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Lovers Rock, Dub, Classic Soul from Motown & Stax, Funk, Disco, Boogie, RnB. In the early 80's I was really into the early Electro Hip Hop sound that was happening during the Breakdance period. I followed along as that evolved into Hip Hop. Another major influence on me was the emerging Dancehall sound. I loved Yellowman & all of the early Dancehall that was coming out of Jamaica. Reggae was always my foundation. Bunny Wailer, Dennis Brown, Sanchez, Beres Hammond, Bob Marley, Freddie McGregor, John Holt etc. Those artists felt like family members as they were played in our house so much. My brother was really into all types of classic Rock music. My sister loved her Pop Music so music was everywhere in my house when I was younger.
So you grew up in Toronto? How was the Jungle scene there in the 90’s?
Before the Jungle scene we were attending warehouse parties that played all of the early House music. The rave scene really started developing in 1991 with the early Breakbeat Hardcore sound. By 1992 when the Reggae influence was coming thru more in the music I was hooked. Our scene was being developed by a few British & Scottish Expats. The first company was called Exodus. After that Sykosis, Chemistry, Nitrous, Pleasure Force, Infinity, Syrous and many more followed. I started my company Delirium in December 1992.
In your neighbourhood, as a kid, was there some older kids that took you under their wing and influenced you in music? Please share the story…
In Malvern Peter & Chris Wilson definitely had a big influence on my early musical development introducing me to DJ'ing, Breakdancing, Roller skating etc. Once I moved further East, I had a friend named Trevor Welshman that mentored me and really showed me the ropes when it came to DJ'ing. Much of what I learned in his basement I still practice to this day!
I have been playing your music for quite a few years now. I have noticed lots of oldskool rave elements, which I love… I think you are a bit of an oldskool raver at heart? Discuss…
Something about the early 90's for me was so special. Especially 91-95. The spirit of that music was so unique. There was a lot of melody, vocals, pads etc. On top of the fact that they were sampling some of the best Soul & Reggae music from that period. That melting pot of styles & the feel good spirt of that time is what I try to recreate in my sets to this day.
What was the first rave you ever went to? And how did affect your life!!
I actually can't remember the first one but the biggest influence on me was definitely a rave series called 'Sykosis' which was held at a dark warehouse style club called 23 Hop in Toronto. The resident DJ/MC was a British expat named Dr. No who had a major influence on me in my early days. The other DJ's Ruffneck, Jungle Phd & Mark Oliver were class acts. I heard so much great Breakbeat Hardcore there in the early 90's. Sykosis definitely pushed me to start my rave company which was called 'Delirium'. Big up Ben Ferguson, Danny Henry & all the Sykosis crew.
What DJ really blew your mind back in the 90’s? and why?
From Canada it would have to be Dr. No. He was a great selector. He had charisma, a great MC voice, fashion sense. He inspired our entire city. From the U.K Randall was one step ahead of everyone. He was seamlessly mixing Hardcore & early Jungle with an ease that other DJ's just didn't do. 0.12
You started your music career as “Visionary” with Dave Whalen. How did you guys meet?
I'm fairly certain we met from the Rave scene. We started learning the craft in 1995. We then went on to share quite a few studios together over the next 10 plus years.
Do you guys still do music together and if not how come?
Dave has a family now and we just naturally moved on over time. Once I moved my studio into my Den I started to do more solo work.
I heard through the grapevine that Navi named you Marcus Visionary? Is this true? Tell us the story….
Yes. Navigator used to come to Toronto to perform and both of us love Reggae & Jungle so we clicked. One day I had Navi over to our studio to voice some dubs. While he was voicing I was saying big up 'Visionary' and he kept saying. Big up Marcus Visionary in many different ways. After the voicing was finished I told him that the two were separate and he said.. No man, you should be Marcus Visionary from now on, It has a ring to it. Up until that point I was just known as DJ Marcus. Big up Navi for that!
When did you first start learning to produce and are you self taught or did you go to college?
Dave and I got together in 1995. Dave got his hands on an Akai sampler, and we started playing around with it. We are both self taught but Dave understood some basic music theory and he was quite good with the technical side of things especially because things were Analogue back then.
What other producers did you see as your Influences back in the day… and now?
Potential Badboy and all of the early Ibiza stuff had a major influence on myself & also our city. The entire Reinforced camp, Noise Factory, Third Party, M Beat, Renk, Labello Blanco, Moving Shadow, Suburban Base. Roni Size & the Full Cycle camp. Dillinja, Photek, Shy FX and of course everything Metalheadz. Too many to mention!!
What was your first release as Marcus Visionary?
I can't recall my first solo ventures to be honest. My first solo album entitled 'Humble' came out thru Liondub International.
How did the link up with Shy FX come about and what do you see as your highlights from the Digital Soundboy years?
We linked up when he came over for one of our Junglist Movement events at Turbo nightclub. We connected as we both had a love for Reggae & Dancehall influenced DNB & Jungle. Bailey used to connect a lot of people with our early music via the AIM days. He sent Number 9 Dub & Gimme Me Your Love to Shy. They got played at Swerve one night and the next day the first person to call was Marcus Intalex who signed No. 9 Dub for Revolvr. Then Shy called & signed Gimme Your Love. I'm really thankful to Shy for those Digital Soundboy years as they helped me travel all over the world.
I’ve noticed that you have slowed some of your productions down recently. Do you prefer working at 160 – 165 as opposed to 175?
I really wanted to dig into the Breaks & Beats that work well at 160-165 bpm. It's refreshing that the original rave sounds are back in the mix. I'm still working at 170 + but I'll be exploring a variety of tempos in the future. I feel no guilt in saying I love the 90's nostalgia. Some of the best memories & times of my life that I hope I can convey in the new music I'm making.
You were signed to Liondub for 10 years? How did the link up come about and are you still working on projects with Erik?
Liondub came over for a gig in Toronto. At the time I was running a label called 'Liondubs' which was linked up by Digital who was working at Load Media Distribution at the time. I hadn't met or heard of Liondub yet. When we met he said he was working with many Reggae, Dancehall artists out of Jamaica. I had always hoped to work with real singers & deejays so we discussed working together and transforming Liondubs into Liondub International. He started sending over acapellas & before you know it the Humble LP was complete. We then went on to collaborate as 'Rumble' making some Dancehall & Jungle. Many of those projects are just coming out now. Big respect to Liondub who has built a label empire.
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at a rave by a big established DJ? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing all those people going mental to something you had made?
I don't recall the first DJ but I fondly remember Fabio playing my track 'No Love' inside System nightclub when he came over to Toronto. It was a great time cause he told me he was hammering it regularly. It marked the beginning of our early production run. The track came out on Dj Flights Play:musik label and was supported by a lot of the big DJ's.. Vinyl was still running!
How has production changed over the years? Things were much different then right? How much more difficult was it to produce a record back then in comparison with now?
It's night & day. I remember pushing our mixing desk so hard with the distortion that we blew the channel a few times! Before the internet we were also mailing and handing off Dat tapes not sure if you'll ever hear anything from the DJ or label again! Now we just mixdown, upload & send. It's much easier these days!
I know you still have some hardware in your studio… Do you still use it a lot or have plug-ins taken over?
I'm 100% in the box now. I think the main difference is I still use Cubase 005. I've been using it for a very long time and I'm very comfortable with it. I will upgrade and purchase the latest version when I upgrade my new studio computer. Somehow I've been able to achieve a warm analogue sound using plug ins. Personally I think it comes down to your ear, how you use the plug ins and the sound engine of your DAW. I don't miss the analogue process. I feel like I have access to everything I need and want with my current crop of plug ins.
What is your favourite synth (hardware) and why do you like it so much?
When I was using hardware it was our EMU 3000. It had a great warmth to it in my opinion. I also loved our Juno 106 synth which was great for Bass sounds. Ironically we didn't end up using our EMU 3000 for very long because computer technology was improving so quickly. At one point we were using both analogue & digital but as time went on it became more convenient and less time consuming to go fully Digital. I blew out a few mixing desks as well which helped move the transition along a lot quicker.
Processing… can plug-ins actually do the job of real hardware compressors, saturators, distortion boxes etc… Discuss your reasoning…
This is down to personal opinion I believe. Many people think that my current material is fully analogue. I never feel limited and I've been able to achieve the sound I want. I'm always looking for new ways to make things warmer, fatter, louder but with dynamics. I'm also a big fan of ambient noise, background hiss, record scratch etc. It's the viny lover in me! My advice is get a great pair of Monitor speakers, some quality headphones and use your ears.
What plug-in could you absolutely not live without?
Kontakt is a staple. I love my V Station & Pentagon synths for my sub bass.
What DAW do you use and have you always used that one? Have you tried any of the others?
I've been a Cubase user since we started out. I love the layout. I know where everything is. I'm sure there are easier programs to use but I like the sound engine. It works for me!
Are you yourself a bit of a vinyl junkie…. In other words… Are you a vinyl collector yourself? If so how many do you have and what is your most treasured piece of vinyl?
I'm a big vinyl junkie. I still collect regularly and it has increased in the last two years. I've been playing more vinyl sets recently as well. I estimate I have about 30 crates. I would say my most treasured vinyl are my Tom & Jerry's. My Reinforced & Redskin collection is also right up there!
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
My parents also came home from a trip to NYC with a copy of Rappers Delight by the Sugar Hill gang. I still have it to this day!
Have you still got ALL your records, or have you sold some over the years…??
I have most of my Hardcore, Jungle & DNB. I had some stolen from one of our studio spaces and I've spent many years re-buying some things that went missing. I also made the mistake of selling my UKG collection to a DJ that had promised to pay & also digitize the collection. He picked them up & disappeared. It was a naive young mistake as it was a great collection.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
I think it's a great thing. I've managed to collect so many great classics that have been repressed. Big thanks to Mark Ranger for my Redskin, Kemet & Third Party collection. Big up Reinforced for the consistent Tom & Jerry & Reinforced releases. It's great to see a new generation hearing the quality & creativity of the early 90's era. It's bringing the spirit of the original rave sound to the present day ravers. I personally love it!
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? discuss your reasoning…
It's definitely a very expensive game for both the labels, pressing plants & DJ's. We're on our fourth vinyl release for our Inner City Dance/ Stereo One Music project and it's a struggle. I hope that the factories can maintain and keep up with the demand. Vinyl sets roll out differently. I find I play vinyl very differently than when I play Digital sets. I love the feel. don't love carrying the crates! haha
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… Its amazing… whats your thoughts on this and how is it going to effect the future of the scene?
I think the early 90's rave sounds coming back in is a great thing for the current crop of music. I can hear alot of hardcore elements influencing DNB lately & I love it. It provides more creativity and you get that energy & excitement from the early rave sound but with current production values. I've been playing alot of that sound at DNB events & people are really taking to it. The more variety, melody & music the better IMO. I think that some producers forget that the musical elements need to be there. Some only focus on the beats & bass manipulation. For me personally it's the music in the songs that gets me going and keeps me interested.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff in your opinion?
It really depends on who is crafting it. Settledown for me is making hit after hit. He has quality production value but also captures that original jungle feel. This new crop of Producers are bringing in new angles. I don't like to compare the new & the old. There's definitely more than enough new music being made that can compare to the classics. It's harder to get a 'big' tune these days as there is so much music out there and everyone is trying to play a set of unique tunes. There is so much great music being made. it's an exciting time. We really need to big up bandcamp for giving a platform to old & new labels as they have helped grow the music all over the globe.
So Inner City Dance… Tell us about the label. How, when, why did you start it… What are your goals and aspirations for the label?
Inner City Dance was started almost 10 + years ago by myself & DJ Lush. Originally it was just meant to be an outlet for my productions but over the years we've had most of Torontos top Producers feature on the label. When we sign or put out anything these days we always ask ourselves how well the track will age over time. We definitely are not following current trends. If we love it and we think it will stand the test of time then we put it out.
Whats the latest release on Inner City Dance (vinyl) and whats coming up in the near future?
The latest vinyl release that is forthcoming is by Krugah out of Brownsville New York City. A track called 'To the Future' & Raggamuffin Junglist. This will be our 4th release for the label. A purple translucent vinyl. We are extremely proud of this release and it's been getting great support & feedback from Jungle DJ's across the board. Krugah is one of the most prolific & unique Drum Funk artists to hit the Jungle scene recently.
What other projects do you have lined up??
My next digital release the 'Strictly Culture' EP is on promo now and will drop on May 22nd via Cygnus distribution worldwide. It features a hardcore Jungle style track called 'Nitty Gritty' a little nod to Mickey Finn on 'Strictly Culture' & a dubwise roller called 'Unifying Force'. The Digital releases for our label will be dropping one per month over the summer so watch out for those. I've also done a mix that we're hoping to release on Spotify featuring many of the 160-165 Productions. I have a 3 track EP forthcoming for Frodo at Tempo Records that will hopefully see the light of day in the next year.
FINAL QUESTION…. From the heart… please tell me, what jungle music means to you… And what you see as your mission as a producer/promoter/label in the jungle scene.
Jungle music has been my entire life since the early 90's. It keeps me sane in this crazy world. Musical therapy. I'm a full time artist, Producer & DJ. It's given me a great life with the opportunity to travel and meet so many great people from all over the world. My hope is keep contributing to the music via my labels, Podcast & radio show. I have my new Visionary Mix Show which airs the last Saturday of every month from 2-4 GMT on the brand new Kool F.M. I also have my Marcus Visionary Podcast via my YouTube channel. I'm up to my 5th podcast. I'm also happy to be a bridge from the U.K to Toronto to the rest of Canada & the United States. Toronto has been a key jump off point for touring DJ's & Producers from the U.K since the early 90's.
Shouts to your peeps?
Shout out to my label partner DJ Lush who works really hard with our admin, the vinyl, the digital and listening to all of my creative ideas. Big shout to my girlfriend Christiane who is my rock & is very supportive. Shout to my entire family. Massive shout to our entire camp of artists from Inner City Dance. Big shout to Eastman & Suzy G, Uncle Dugs, Geeneus & the whole Kool F.M family.
Links / contact information:
https://innercitydance.bandcamp.com/
https://triballife.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.youtube.com/@marcusvisionary/videos
https://www.instagram.com/marcusvisionary/
https://www.mixcloud.com/marcusvisionary/
https://soundcloud.com/marcus-visionary
https://umcmanagement.co.uk/artists/
Email: djmarcusvisionary@gmail.com for any booking inquiries.
You can catch Marcus dropping a guest mix on my show tomorrow.
Thursday 27th April 2023. 10am - Midday UK time.
You can tune in LIVE here: https://www.eruptionradio.uk/player/
If you miss the show you can listen back here: https://podcast.vinyljunkie.uk
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Can you give me a brief bit of background on yourself. Where you were born, where you grew up, what school you went to etc… and what did you do for work before you started producing music?
I was born in Germany; my dad was an US Soldier and my mum German. I grew up in Frankfurt Germany and I also went to school near Frankfurt. And I am still living in that area now a days.
I was always into music and started doing music in my early teenager years when I was still in school. I started university then, but never finished it, because I got so deep in producing music and DJing that I’ve decided to do that full time. But sometimes that didn’t really pay all the bills back then, so I started working in a local music store selling pro audio equipment to studio customers – and that’s when I also started building my own studio.
So musically, let’s start right at the beginning… Going way back, before raving and Moving Shadow and all that good stuff… What is your very earliest musical memory?
Probably when I got into Rap music in the late 80ies ….
When you were growing up, what music was likely to being played in your house? We’re your parents very musical? In other words, What was the soundtrack to your youth? And how did this music effect your future?
Even though my dad left us very early, he did leave his record collection. Which was all reggae, funk and soul. And as my mum was into that kind of music, too – that´s what she was playing all day .. and we had AFN, which was an US military radio station, where we would listen to the programs with soul and funk. So, it was all black music for me when growing up. That all lead to listening to rap and hip-hop, and as my stateside family is from Detroit, there also was some electronic music in the late 80ies which caught my attention, but it took until ´92 when I heard some stuff coming from UK which had something like a “fast hip-hop beat” instead of 4-to-the-floor bass drums 😉 … and that’s where it was clear for me where the road would lead to …
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
C.O.D. – In The Bottle. That was in 1983 and I was 6 or 7 years old. As a matter of fact, I did not buy the record, but I worked for it. We were living in small apartment above a record shop, and I used to go in there and look at all the records every time I got home from school. I knew I was not allowed to touch the records or the record player at home by myself – so I thought: I need my own record, that I can play all day when I want. And so, I asked the owner if I could “work” for him to buy one record. He smiled at me, gave me a small package to deliver to the post office (which was literally next door) and that way I’ve “earned” my first vinyl.
What was the first rave you ever went to? And how did affect your life!!
I have to pick a certain club night which happened in Frankfurt in ´93 … I’ve been to party’s and raves before, but that night was the opening night of a club in Frankfurt called XS and it was the first night in Frankfurt ever dedicated to “breakbeats”. I remember Bassface Sascha being one of the DJ’s and even though I’ve heard that kind of music on tapes before – it was that night where it all started. Less than 1 year later in ´94 I’ve released my first record ever and it was called “jungle life” … I think that describes it quite well what happened afterwards 😊
Where do you think you would be now if the drum&bass scene never happened?
I have no idea as its part of my life for so long now … but the nearest possible would probably a pro-basketball player as I was quite good in my younger years and all I did was practice and play ball.
When did you first start learning to produce and are you self-taught or did you go to college… In other words, how did you become such an awesome producer?
These credits are going to my 2 mentors from back then. Most important Rebel X, he was a hip-hop producer from New York and worked as civilian for the us military and he took me in when I had some trouble in school and stuff. He had a super small studio in the barracks, and he would let me work in his studio on beats instead of getting into more trouble – he showed me how to use an Akai sampler and how to do music with very limited options. We had 9 seconds of sample time in total – so for everybody who is not into producing – that means that all elements of a song combined can’t be longer then 9 seconds - so if you sample a break which was 4 seconds long, that means half of your time is gone already and you would have to choose wisely on the next elements. So, we used techniques like speeding up the turntable we sample from and then slowing it down in the sampler again – that way we could save up precious seconds hahaha … oh – and there was no disc drive, so we were not able to safe anything – it had to be done in one session, record it to DAT and that was it …. No changes possible … and if you were not fast enough and left it on overnight – chances it would be gone the next day was very high … that’s how I learned the “soul” of production. And with my 2nd mentor Marcus Darius I learned the “body” of production – the actual technical side of everything … he had quite a big studio with proper equipment, big mixing desk and huge monitors. I used to just hang around as a kid and look above his shoulder when he was producing and mixing down songs for different artists. And then after his working day I was allowed to stay a bit longer and that’s where I build my craft on being an engineer by pretty much recreating what I saw during the day … that was also the place where I’ve made my first records with Marcus being the engineer.
and getting to know all the analogue equipment back then was a big help and lead me to building my own studio later.
What other producers did you see as your Influences back then?
Hard to tell, when I first got into breakbeats Jungle and such, all I had to get inspiration from was tapes recorded from uk pirate stations or raves and I wouldn’t even know the names of the tunes or producers back then. And in the early 90s it wasn’t so easy to get a hold of those records anyway.
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at an event by a known DJ? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing all those people going mental to something you had made?
To be honest I don’t remember – it’s not that all my music got played by big name DJ’s all the time. but I honestly don’t remember … but I do remember I big moment for me, when DJ storm came up to me on sun and bass a few years back and thanked me for constantly making good jungle music. That really meant something to me and motivates me to keep going.
How has production changed over the years? Are you still a hardware man or have plug-ins taken over?
All analogue hardware again. I used to work in the box for quiet some years, but then returned to hardware, because you just can’t beat the sound and workflow of high-quality outboard, and I am in that very lucky situation to be able to use the best of it.
What DAW do you use, and have you always used that one?
I’m on logic. After the Atari Cubase times it was always logic.
What is your most used plug-in these days and what’s so cool about it?
As stated above, I’m a hardware man hahaha … so it has to be the exs-24 sampler which I’m still using every time, because its super quick and intuitive. And I like certain delay and reverb plug-ins like the albarosi or UAD Lexicon.
What else do you do other than produce music? I heard a rumour that you are also a mastering engineer??
Yes – that’s what I do. I am a full-time mastering engineer. I used to have a recording facility I rented out as well, but that didn’t pay of well at the end, so I’ve closed that and kept the mastering suite only. So, if anybody is in need of high-quality full analogue mastering, drop me a line through my website: www.m3mastering.com
When did you start DJing and what influenced you to do so?
It was beginning of the 90´s and I think I wanted to be a rapper first, but I really sucked at it, so I decided to become a DJ to stay in the band hahaha …
What DJs really blew your mind back then?
When talking jungle dnb from the 90´s, I was always a huge fan of Bryan Gee for playing out all the tunes nobody had and everybody wanted, and DJ hype, because he was doing the scratching I knew from hip-hop (and was never able to do it myself hahaha …. ), Storm of course and I could name so many more like Fabio and Grooverider, Bukem, Mickey Finn and on and on and on …
Have you been DJing much lately? What gigs do you have lined up??
Not really, I got so locked up in my studio during the pandemic that just now I’m getting used to going out again – I did play sun and bass last year and will hopefully do so again this year … but I haven’t really pushed my DJ game very hard lately … maybe a good time to get back to it now 😊
Tell us a funny story from your DJ adventures?
Well – I’m quite tall (2,00m) and I remember playing somewhere in Italy and the decks on stage were sitting on a regular sized school table … so I told the promoter: I can’t be playing on my knees or sitting down in a chair – you must get a higher table … But there is no higher table in the venue – so I go outside and find an old mattress in the street, a large wooden board and a couple of bricks. I put the mattress on the table stabilized it with the board and the bricks – and there you go: a high enough table and now even decoupled from the wobbly stage…. Sometimes you just have to know how to help yourself hahaha
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
Of course, it is … what can be bad about this? It shows that there are so many lovers of the music that stuck around for 3 decades and now buy vinyl again (or for the first time) and even lots of younger kids that are getting into what the foundation was … I see good things only!
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? discuss your reasoning…
I know one thing it will not fizzle out … I still remember the times when the big record company were trashing their vinyl cutting machines in their backyard, because the cd came on the market, and they thought they would never need them again. And look now - 30 years later, vinyl is still there, and the demand is so high that you have to wait 6-12 months for a vinyl to be manufactured. Vinyl is just something special that not any digital format can give you. Its everything about it, the touch, smell, look, feel … it touches all senses… it’s the physical interaction with the music.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records, and even producing music in this style… It’s amazing… what’s your thoughts on this and how is it going to affect the future of the scene?
I love it !! and it’s definitely a great thing for the scene. Once a music genre goes full cycle like that it’s a sign that it will be there forever.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff?
Some of it is really great, its taking the ideas and vibes from back then to a new level, with all the possible production techniques now a days and all the knowledge accessible to anybody. And lots of older producer are getting back in demand now, too.
You have a release just about to drop on Ghetto Dub. Tell us about the EP!
It’s the “Ghostride VIP EP” which is a follow up to my first EP on Ghetto Dub from 2020. The idea to the title track came pretty quick after its original and then we (Ghetto Dub and me) had to find the right tracks and timing to finish this EP. It now consists of 4 Tracks which were all written in different time periods throughout the last 3 years. As stated, before Ghostride VIP is a follow up and takes the original in a rougher direction, definitely more edgy than the original mix. Insane is deep percussion driven roller, where I was more experimental with the whole beats and percussion section. And “Right Now” and “Luv Ur Music” are two straight forward jungle rollers, more that kind of sound I’m mostly known for.
The Ghostride VIP EP is available now as a pre-sale from Beatport. Full release is Thursday 16th March. You can grab it here: https://www.beatport.com/release/ghostride-vip/4045377
So Tony, what other releases do you have lined up???
There 2 more tracks signed to Ghetto Dub for a future release. And I’ve just signed a 6 Track EP to Digital´s Function Records, an EP for Outrage´s label Backlash, and I’m also currently working on some stuff for the German Label Basswerk.
Any final words or shouts??
I want to thank you John for having me on your show and believing in my music. And that goes to all the people out there, who believe in what I’m doing and are putting their effort in releasing my music – this is what is about for me – creating music and knowing there are people out there who enjoy listening to it
If you want to include any links or contact information, put it here.
Unfortunately, I’m not very good using all the socials, but you can still link up with me via Facebook or Instagram FB: https://www.facebook.com/tony.madvibes/
INSTA: Tony Madvibes)
And of course, through my website: www.m3mastering.com
I want to say a massive thank you and BIG UPS to Mad Vibes for taking the time to do this interview. You can catch Tony dropping a guestmix on my radio show tomorrow. You can listen to the show LIVE. Thats Thurs 16th March 10am - Midday (UK Time). Here is the link: https://www.mixcloud.com/EruptionRadioUK
If you miss it, it will be available as a podcast from here: https://on.soundcloud.com/dhaU5
and here: https://podcast.vinyljunkie.uk/
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So without further ado...
Hi Mate. Hows things and what have you been up to??
I’m good thanks. I’ve been working hard in the studio everyday, exactly where I love to be!
Can you give me a brief bit of background on yourself. Where you were born, where you grew up, what school you went to etc… and what did you do for work before you started producing music?
I grew up in north London, going to Edgware school. When I was about 14 my family moved to Luton. I was always into art so I went to college to study graphic design. My first job was as a graphic designer, that was before I quit to work on my music full time.
So musically, lets start right at the beginning… Going way back, before raving and Moving Shadow and all that good stuff… What is your very earliest musical memory?
My first memory of music was learning to play the recorder at Junior school. My mum has a book of the first words I spoke, apparently my first words were music and aubergine!
Aubergine? You must of had a lot of moussaka as a baby? When you were growing up, what music was likely to being played in your house? We’re your parents very musical? In otherwords… What was the soundtrack to your youth? And how did this music effect your future?
I don’t remember much music being played at home, but that wasn’t a problem growing up on an estate in London. The electro and breakdance scene was just starting to explode, which meant that there was always someone outside with a stereo, busting out the latest beats. It was an exciting time.
Good times man... So, what was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
I can’t remember my exact age, but I was very young. I bought a 7” of cartoon themes from Woolworths. It was on Mr Pickwick records if anyone remembers that label!
I remember it... I think I have some old sound effects albums on that label. So, what was the first rave you ever went to? And how did affect your life!!
I went to a club in Luton called Hemingways. Because I grew up as a hip hop and electro fan this was the first time I witnessed the power of dance music in all of its glory. Those synth sounds mixed with my favourite hip hop breakbeats, and that ridiculous sub bass… I was hooked for life!
Where do you think you would be now if the rave scene never happened?
I think I’d still be a record producer, I already had my first drum machine and was starting to make hip hop beats, that was just before I was swept away and inspired by the exciting new rave scene.
Did you do anything musically before you started at Moving Shadow? For example, as a youth, did you play any musical instruments?
I learnt the recorder at school! A little while later I bought my first drum machine and started to make beats that sounded like the electro and hip hop tracks that were blowing up at the time. I didn’t know it, but that was the start of my production journey.
When did you first start learning to produce and are you self taught or did you go to college… In other words, how did you become such an awesome producer?
I was at college, studying graphic design. Justice (who I later collaborated with on Moving Shadow) was at the same college studying media studies. For work experience he had the opportunity to work in a local recording studio called 33 Arts Centre. As a thank you for his work they offered him a few free hours of studio time at the end of the week. He asked me if I’d like to come along, as soon as I walked through the door I was hooked! I saved up a little money to hire the studio myself, the first track I made was Music Takes You, which changed the course of my life forever.
What other producers did you see as your Influences back then?
I didn’t really look at producers as influences back then, I just loved listening to music and dissecting all of the individual elements that made up tracks that I loved.
How did the link-up with Rob Playford and Moving Shadow happen?
As soon as I made Music Takes You I decided to start sending it out to record labels. While I was at The Grid club in Luton, I saw this cool/weird logo of a black shadow man spinning around on the decks. The next day I went to the local record shop, found the record and wrote the telephone number down. I called the label, spoke to Rob, sent the track off and the rest is history.
So as I mentioned earlier, I receiving a white label of your original “Music Takes You”. Was this your first production and did you engineer it yourself?
It was my first solo production, and no I didn’t engineer it myself. I was 17 and this was the first time that I’d ever hired a recording studio on my own. It was a community recording studio called 33 Arts Centre, it cost £7.50 an hour to hire and I’d saved enough for 4 hours… luckily it only took 4 hours to make! The universe was good to me that day, all the sounds and ideas just clicked instantly. It was one of those special tracks that seemed to write itself, unfortunately that doesn’t happen very often!
The original version of that record never saw a full release, although there was some pretty cool remixes that excluded the Seal vocal… For copyright reasons I assume? Could you please share with us the story of “Music Takes You”…
So as the track started to gain momentum we were approached by Seals label, he liked the track and was considering singing on it. Seal was just gearing up for appearing on the Batman soundtrack, and unfortunately featuring on a rave record didn’t tie in with those plans. We had to remove him from the track, it’s a shame because I’ll never know how things would’ve played out if he had featured on it back then.
After Music Takes you. According to Discogs you didn’t release another record until 1993… Seems like quite a long gap… What were you doing??
Haha well, I was 18 with a big record on my hands and the royalties had starting appearing in my bank. So let’s just say I was partying and buying fast cars that cost way too much to insure! That was until one day I went to the cash point and it wouldn’t give me any more money. I’d spent everything. I needed to get back in the studio to try and make another hit. I swore to never do that again, I’d always make sure music came first.
On Beatport, Music Takes You is number 1 in your Top 10 Tracks. How does that make you feel after all this time and the sheer amount of tunes you have released since?
I’m really proud of that. It was the record that showed me that music was going to be my life’s journey.
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at a rave by a big established DJ? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing all those people going mental to something you had made?
It was Chris Paul at Camden Palace. That was one of the most incredible moments of my life. Chris dropped Music Takes You, and when I saw all the hands in the air it blew my mind! I still aim to capture that feeling in the studio with every track I make.
How has production changed over the years? Are you still a hardware man or have plug-ins taken over?
Computers and software are central to our studios thesedays, but I’m still a massive hardware fan and have a few classic synths, nothing quite beats the magic of the original gear.
What DAW do you use and have you always used that one?
I use Logic, I’ve been a fan since the very first version. Before that I used cubase on the Atari, that’s what I made all my Moving Shadow records with.
What is your most used plug-in these days and whats so cool about it?
It’s probably the Fabfilter Pro Q-3. I use it first on every channel, I can instantly see any problems that need fixing in the spectrum analyser.
When did you start DJing and what influenced you to do so?
I first played out in the early 90s, but it all kicked up a level when I joined Good Looking Records. I mixed the Logical Progression 2 album, and started touring the world to promote it.
What DJ’s really blew your mind back in the 90’s?
Randall and Fabio were big favourites of mine back then.
You travelled the world as a DJ… What countries / gigs really stand out for you?
Some of my favourite memories were from Shanghai when during an epic breakdown snow started falling from the ceiling of the club! I also loved playing at Liquid Rooms in Tokyo, the Muffetcafe in Munich and djing on a boat going around the Statue of Liberty in NYC for the legendary Breakbeat Science record store.
Whats the biggest gig you ever did and how many people did you play too??
I think it was 5000 people in Budapest.
You don’t DJ anymore… Why did you give up??
I just love being in the studio more than djing. I’m in the studio 7 days a week, and when I’m in there and a track is coming together and sounding good, everything is right in my world.
Tell us a funny story from your DJ years?
I don’t know if this is funny or disheartening. One gig I played was so bad that the only 3 people on the dancefloor looked like the members of Right Said Fred!
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
I think it’s a good thing for more people to have a chance to enjoy the music that we all love, plus it’s a good opportunity for us to go back and submerge ourselves in those anthems all over again.
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? discuss your reasoning…
I feel like the love for the music is growing, but putting food on the table and heating our homes is becoming so expensive that some people have to take a break from buying music.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… Its amazing… whats your thoughts on this and how is it going to effect the future of the scene?
I think it can only be good for the scene, more people getting the chance to enjoy the music that we’ve loved for all of these years has to be a good thing.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff?
This might sound mad, but I don’t get a chance to listen to what’s new, instead I’m always in the studio creating, working on my own music deadlines 7 days a week.
In recent times you have dropped the tempo of your productions down to around the 160 mark and have been doing some awesome remix work under the name “Blames Shadow Remix”. How did this come about and whats the concept behind it?
So during lockdown I found some unreleased DAT tapes of my music from the mid 90s, Simon from 2 Bad Mice heard them and told me he wanted to sign a couple for his new label Over/Shadow. Once those tracks dropped, other labels started contacting me asking me to remix a track for them just like I would’ve done back in my Moving Shadow days. So I dusted off all my old synths and samples and started calling them my ‘Shadow’ Remixes. Working on these projects is a lot of fun!
I really love what you did with DJ Rap’s Spiritual Aura… Which is your favourite of the recent remixes and why?
I think my Shades Of Rhythm ‘Summer Of 89’ remix is my favourite out of the recent batch. The main reason is that I loved this track for decades without ever finding out who made it, or even what it was called… that was until Kniteforce contacted me about a remix opportunity. I hit play and it was that track!
Whats next on the Horizon for the Shadow Remix series?
I’ve got a few dropping soon on Good 2 Go, Kniteforce, Karma, Suburban Architecture and an exciting new label called Break The Future.
Is your label 720 Degrees still a thing? According to discogs your last digital release was 2020 but I can’t find it on Beatport??
720 Degrees is currently inactive. The main reason is that I just love making music too much. Right now I prefer spending all of my time in the studio, then giving the tracks to fantastic labels who help get them out into the world.
My brand new record ‘Right Now’ is out now on Good 2 Go. It was inspired by my time at Moving Shadow and has incredible sleeve artwork by the legendary Junior Tomlin.
http://Good2Godmr.Bandcamp.com
Blame's Latest offering on vinyl is available here... Multi-Coloured Marbled Vinyl with sleeve artwork by the legendary Junior Tomlin.
They have done half a dozen releases since and I am gassed to say that i now have five of them for sale in the store. I will add some links at the bottom should you want to check them out.
Over the last few years myself and Vali have become mates and I thought it was time he did a guest mix for my show and also share some of his thoughts with us.... So without further ado... Ladies and Gentleman... Straight Outta Berlin... Vali NME Click... Head Honcho at Parallax Records!
Hi Mate. How’s things and what have you been up to this week??
Thanks for asking, I´m good, hope you too? This week I received test presses for PARA019 Electronic Experienced, so I stamped them and got the existing orders of the Super-bundle and the new Justice & Necrotype packed and need to send them out asap, thanks to everyone who supports the label and keeps it going! I also did flyer artwork for a friend´s event series ‘Hotbox’ in Zurich. I did my new People Station radio show with DJ Chromz and played ‘Best Mindfuck Yet’ Saturday at a squat here in Berlin. Yesterday I went for a swim with my little one, Sunday I visited my mate Phyzikal Flex (the other half of Brute Force), we both have daughters the same age. Today I learned from my ex-flatmate in my hometown that our cat died.
Wow… You’ve been busy then! Can you give me a brief bit of background on yourself. Where you were born, where you grew up, school life etc… and what did you do for work before you started in the music game?
Hi, I´m Vali NME Click – the Vali stand for Valentin and the NME Click (Enemy Clique) is the crew I DJed with since I started out in 94. I was born close to the Dutch border in Viersen. My family were just visiting their parents though, at the time we lived in Eupen (Belgium) but when I was 3, we moved to Ulm in the South of Germany. That´s where I grew up with two older siblings and went to school, but best not talk about that chapter ha-ha. My first job was in Gecko, a fashion shop for Rave and Skateboard clothing. I also did an apprenticeship in a local city magazine, began DJing and having various residencies, hosting a weekly radio show etc. Ulm is still what feels ‘home’ most with all my closest friends there.
So musically, let’s start right at the beginning… Going way back, before raves, Jungle and Parallax records… What is your very earliest musical memory?
My parents are both multi-instrumentalists and professional singers, so there always been jam sessions around our house. I often fell asleep on the sofa while they played classical music with friends.
When you were growing up, what music was likely to being played in your house?
My older siblings listened to a lot of Beatles, Supertramp, Stones, Beach Boys and the likes so that was what I first got to know in regard to popular music. I often went to the local library and checked out tapes of contemporary pop music and schooled myself on music magazines they had there too. My dad had some weird early synthesizer records (Claude Denjean – Moog, The Fantastic Pikes - Synthesizer Sound Machine 1 & 2 and more uncool early synth cover-music (if you compare it to Kraftwerk and Jean-Michel Jarre) and a record form Achim Reichel – Regenballade was played a lot (ultraweird and somehow quite dark), weird how I just remember that now and just found it on Cogs:
https://www.discogs.com/master/281794-Achim-Reichel-Regenballade
Did you play any musical instruments back then?
Haha yes, the flute, the xylophone, cembalo, percussions, pots and pans and I even learned the guitar. I was really bad with it all. I also sang in a boys’ choir, and they wanted me to sing solo, but I was quite shy, so this never happened.
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
I always thought what I would tell somebody if I ever got asked this question because I honestly can´t remember. The first own record that I got gifted must´ve been either a ‘Best of Elvis’ or Michael Jackson – Off the Wall. The first record I bought from my actual own money might´ve been Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back or De La Soul – 3 feet High & Rising (RIP Trugoy The Dove who passed yesterday, way too early), which is quite cool because I still like them. I also still rate Jacko´s Off the Wall and sampled that in a forthcoming Brute Force tune, but I absolutely hate Elvis nowadays lol
What was the first rave you ever went to? And how did it affect your life?
Hmm as I grew up in the South of Germany there weren´t that many raves in Ulm. It might´ve been something called Arts Experience at a warehouse called Arts & Crafts or a rave at the Roxy which I don´t remember the name of. Another early memory was a rave called Planet Love at Donau Halle and regular visits to Ohne Worte, our Ulm homebase and clubs in surrounding cities such as Badehaus (Heidenheim), Oz (Stuttgart) or Störung (Backnang). These were all Techno/ Trance clubs, Hardcore/ Jungle wasn´t popular over here apart from Feeva Kru´s sessions at Stuttgart based Großer Bär, but we found out about those only about 2 years later. We thought we were the only ones into UK Rave and got laughed at a lot. Until we found an ad in a print magazine about a club in Mannheim called Vibration. We drove there and couldn’t believe our eyes: A club with an open dancefloor leading to a lake as chillout, weekly DJs like Bukem, SS, Hype, Donovan Badboy Smith, Mickey Finn etc. So, the first Junglerave I finally get to experience was probably Meditation at Walzmühle Ludwigshafen as that happened when we already started raving around the Mannheim area and occasionally Munich (Southern Sessions). Stuttgart got pretty big when Ulm did too around the Millenium with U-Turn@Röhre, Rude Club etc. and we put on a lot in our hometown, from club nights like Echoes Form the Future and Touchdown to our Feeel! open air festival.
What DJ’s have inspired you over the years and how have they influenced your DJing style
Hip Hop DJs like Terminator X of Public Enemy, Mr. Mixx of the 2 Live Crew, Too Tuff of the Tuff Crew, DJ Supreme of Hijack were the first ones that got me hooked in general, the magic created with scratching and cutting. DJ´s that influenced my style how I play Jungle I first and foremost must mention DJ Hype (scratching, overall style how to put together a set, selection), closely followed by Bukem (early years up to 95, but mostly 92-94, his selections and A&Ring in that period are un-championed IMO). Nowadays I listen to a lot of Top Buzz and Ratty obviously, but not back then really. It was very hard to get your hands on tapes at all, my most ever rinsed tape is Hype@ Roast – Land Of The Giants (bought all the 12”s played there, even the dubplates, I ended up releasing the Lewi – You Better Run dubplate on Parallax) and DJ Killa @ One Nation Valentine´s Ball 94 (yes, an odd one, but there you go, good selection and mixing on a live recording by, how I later found out, a 12 year old kid. Also worth checking is Hype´s set form the same event, a pretty much unknown set that I searched for years only to find out that it was on the same pack as the DJ Killa), Ellis Dee & Sy @ Dreamscape 11 (not because they played the best sets but because I somehow managed to get my hands on that single tape).
When did you first start learning to mix records and what inspired you to do so?
I started DJing together with my mate Önder by buying two crates full of 92/93 Hardcore and Jungle from local DJ Filippo ‘Naughty’ Moscatello in 94, the resident of Ohne Worte. It was all Subbase, Shadow, Formation, Basement, Lucky Spin, Impact, Brain and (pre-internet very obscure) whitelabels. We paid like 200 Marks (nowadays the equivalent to 70 pounds) for about 200 records. It took us years to learn mixing, we had no clue about the technical side and there weren’t many DJs around at the time. I remember we paid a guy with weed to regularly use his turntables. I then practiced on shitty Gemini belt drives that I borrowed from a mate and when I first put my hand on a Technics platter the motor was so strong, I nearly got swiped off my feet haha.
When and where was your first gig and what are your memories of this night?
First gig I think was somewhere near Stuttgart, was it Münsingen? I can´t fully remember because we were tripping and were totally off our faces, my mate fell down the stairs because he thought he can take them in one step haha. We train wrecked our way through the whole night, terrible, but it´s been only 5 people in there anyways. We earned out stripes around the Stuttgart area (Zelle Reutlingen, Tübingen Epple Haus…) and in the end two mates form Reutlingen taught us how to mix in like 2 hours. It was just secret science that not many people had knowledge of haha. It took us years to get good at this thing and I remember on more than one occasion in our first residency Club Yellow where we had to hide in the toilets during our set when police came down as we were only 16.
Vinyl DJing Vs Digital DJing… What do you prefer and why? And how do they differ?
Really, the same old discussion?
YEP! 🤣
OK... I mostly went with the times music and technology wise. I never stopped buying vinyl and collecting Hardcore/ Jungle for myself though and played it here and there, but mostly went with Drum&Bass and what was current there, from music to technology. I went from vinyl to endlessly burning CDs (thank God that’s a thing of the past, still have spindles of unreleased DnB dubs and keep telling myself I must go through them) to DJ software like Traktor and Serato. Nowadays I use all of it. For radio I love using Serato or Traktor, just because I can play digital dubplates and everything sounds more when using one device. For club gigs I always have a USB with me, be it as back-up or to showcase new dubs. If I take vinyl with me, I usually plan a bit in advance (how do I travel, how long do I play/ how many records do I take with me/ what crowd do I play to because I only have limited choice with vinyl, are the turntables good, is the monitoring on point.). If the set-up is on point, I LOVE playing records and it´s my first choice, but if something is off, I might go and play digitally. It´s just so much easier, especially in a club environment and I love using hot cues or looping stuff, that gives you a lot of freedom to play stuff that normally wouldn’t match. But if I play records, I am much more freely in how I mix, I can cut, scratch, you must work, that´s me 100% and I love it. And there are no hiccups, a record just plays and doesn’t need constantly updating or a subscription model or is on a media that is corrupted. It all has it´s pros and cons and the one tip I can give to aspiring DJ´s is: Always have a back-up on another format with you so you can play no matter what. I had to learn that the hard way.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
Oh, if I knew in time, I would’ve sold my copies of New Science EP and Pressing On Ya Mind!!!
This one you mean? (Sorry for the shameless plug! HAHA... Had to be done! Call it a commercial break) 😉
Hahaha good job on those John, you do God´s work! It´s a difficult topic with represses, because I run a label who did represses on the one hand, on the other I always put all money I ever earned into my collection and sometimes it´s hard to take if you spent years to find a tune and it becomes part of the identity of your individual collection and suddenly everybody spins it. Overall, I think it´s a good thing to make the music available to everybody and get new blood into our scene, giving the original artists money and publicity and eventually revive their careers. But personally, I think it got a bit out of hand. From a few heads who did this for the love of it and making tunes available that were out of press and impossible to find even for die-hard collectors or didn’t even make it into press to today, to today, where it got a whole industry that bring politics into the scene and squeezes money out of it with tunes often widely available and still get the ‘remastered’ treatment. Of course, it´s nice to not feed the scalpers, but if you really want a tune, you might as well save up for it and dosh out a bit on top, at least you´ll appreciate and play it then and not everybody has the same tunes. A lot of tunes that were holy grails, for years desired and talked about, lose their magic in an instant once they got available and instead of getting new shine, were fast forgotten about. So weirdly, it can damage the desirability of a tune, especially when the rarity factor was bigger than the quality of the tune. I think less is more and took a step back, also because I think not everything needs a repress and the stuff that needs it mostly has been done. Nowadays I enjoy there are still a few holy grails one can hunt and not everything is available at the ready, that makes the process of record hunting so special, the rush of adrenaline when you find THAT tune!
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out?
Hopefully not. I don´t get around enough these days to answer that question. The problem that pressing records gets more and more expensive and it takes forever to press them reduces the fun, let´s see.
What inspired you to start a label and what was your early vision for Parallax?
It was never planned, it just all fell into place all by itself. I had the strong desire to find unearthed music and trying to get someone to release it until Will gave me the inspiration to do it myself, probably he was fed up receiving my annoying messages haha. It never occurred to me that I could do it myself up to then, especially since not based in the UK. Big ups for Will Sublogic and Dave Elusive, Beau Thomas and Handle with Care to help me getting started! The graphical vision just was the route I followed as a designer anyways and I always loved the look of Subbase or Strictly Underground so it was a no-brainer. Musically the only vision/ rule is to put out the music I would DJ myself.
Your first release was the On One crew… 2 old mates of mine from Bristol. How did that link up come about?
I must´ve found them via Facebook and just hit them up, not sure anymore. If you know them you know they are approachable and nice peeps, it was a lot of fun working with them on the release. Say hi when you see them, it´s been a minute since we spoke, and they certainly were one of the nicest people I had the pleasure to work with in the repress thingy!
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at a rave or in a club by a big established DJ? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing all those people going mental to something that you released on your label?
A Parallax tune unfortunately never. Not till the present day. Except if I play it somewhere myself. In Berlin there isn´t much of a Hardcore/ Jungle scene so I either put on something myself or it won´t happen. I´m a father and simply too old to fly out to a rave in the UK, also think of the carbon footprint that would cause! I rarely fly if it´s not 100% necessary, I want to do my best to act responsible for coming generations. But I´d love to witness that one day. I want to put out music that´s in the DJ´s boxes, the tune the DJ draws for next, it´s got to be a Parallax banger. If you read the playlists of the week´s radio shows or hear the recording of last Saturday´s party, I want those tunes in there, that´s really the reason I do it for. So, one of my highlights that comes closest were when Tim Reaper played FFF-Bandulu on his Radio One Essential Podcast.
Is Music production and running a label your main source of income? If not tell us about what else you do?
Haha, are you kidding? I rarely ever take any money out of the label, it´s tough to keep it going. I am a freelance graphics designer, that´s what I do for a living. So, if somebody needs a design or artwork – hit me up! Find some of my works (it needs an update) on behance.com/vali_nmeclick.
Has being a graphic designer helped you to realize your vision for the label?? How?
Yes, it gives me great satisfaction being able to put my stamp on it. I come from designing promotion materials such as posters and flyers etc. People never pay much attention to those formats unfortunately and once the event is over the artwork is left to rot. Records are a great vehicle to make your artwork timeless, people go back to it and look at it in another way. Merch is great too if you see somebody somewhere with your artwork on the body. But it´s hard for me to keep up the level of quality to be honest. A lot of time, sweat and tears go into it. I am not half as good as it looks, but I just keep on bumping my head against the wall until I´m there.
How is the current state of the economy effecting you as a label?
Best let´s not talk too much about it and keep positive. It´s not easy for all of us lately. Everybody does their best to keep going. Let´s hope it all gets better sometime soon, and we will still be there altogether, pushing this scene. The thing that makes me angry is that it´s manmade. There are people who made (and are making, right now) a lot of money from the situation, the same old ‘rich are getting richer’. Theoretically there is enough for all of us. Our society is in constant change, the politics must get on top of the times and adapt certain tax laws and put the pressure off the boiling pot. Soon, or I don´t know where this will lead, people are fed up and sooner or later rather than pointing finger at one another will go for the root of it all.
What has been your involvement in production and running labels before you started Parallax?
In my past I excessively been on the road DJing and been active as a writer, radio host, promoter and doing PR. So, everything really, apart from music production. I was/am involved in the process of writing tunes, but never made a tune on my own, nor would I be able to. Maybe one day, but the time just isn´t there. I always say to get good at something it takes 5 years, to become a master it takes 10 of constantly doing it, daily. I´m happy in my position, to be in touch with great producers and sourcing great music I find fitting for the label, that is rewarding to me. Or finding ingredients to a tune and get to sit with someone on the buttons and be involved in the creative process.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… It’s amazing… what’s your thoughts on this and how is it going to affect the future of the scene?
The way forward is the only future there is. As much as I love the tunes from way back there´s only so many times that you can play and talk about the same tunes repeatedly. The only problem I personally have is that by wanting to keep the music on the label authentic it is limiting myself. And the more people put you into one bracket the less freedom there is to try out new things too. The scene as a whole doesn´t have that problem of course and is pushing the boundaries. But there will be some unexpected releases coming soon on Parallax too, alongside the typical 93 dark styled tunes the label is getting more and more known for. All in all, I´m very thankful to be part of this second wave as I pretty much missed the first time around too (of course Jungle was alive and kicking in 94 but not so much where I was) and I love living the Jungle life actively, being in touch with likeminded souls, doing radio, collecting and playing tunes and putting them out and make some people happy sometimes. It´s also good meeting young kids at raves and seeing them getting drawn in and find their place in the scene and keeping it going.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff? In your opinion.
It is hard to compare that. Back then people tried to push the envelope of what’s possible, nowadays people try to get as close to the analogue sound, old concepts and styles, which then quickly can become boring or even worse, gimmicky, trying too hard to fit a style and as soon as that’s achieved, not much more is added. I don´t as many things that come out lately as I used to for various reasons. It can be that I have the feeling I heard a thing too often so it´s not exciting anymore. Or it sounds too clinical or harsh/ hard or a bit soulless for my personal taste. Or that it takes ingredients from different eras and combines them, which can either lead to great results or giving the beard stroker in me a hard time haha. Or it´s just unimaginative/ painted by numbers. But let´s be honest here, in every period there were groundbreaking tunes, tunes that were good but went with what´s tried and tested and happening at the current point in time and then there were tons of simply shit tunes too. And now is no different. You can hear who puts their hearts in it and who do it for other reasons. I hate that people release music for the sake of releasing music, just to stay in focus and have content to scream about. Social media is the greatest gain and the greatest pain. And then trends change so fast. I love all of it, but to me a good tune needs certain elements, if music has no face/ nothing that leaves a mark after you finish listening, it can´t be a good thing. Also, what might sound fresh to a younger person´s ear can be perceived totally different by old heads who might find a certain sample played out etc. Music is an individual experience, and everybody has different references, so I´m not badmouthing anything. As long as new music is coming out it is certainly a positive thing.
Judging from the pic, you are definitely a bit of a vinyl Peddler? LOL... But do you have a big collection yourself?? If so, how many and how long have you been collecting?
I´ve been collecting since I can think. I was always drawn to my parents’ records, starring at the sleeves and listening to them, there´s something magical to a record, I still can´t put my finger on it. If there is a stack of records lurking, no matter if at a friend´s place, the parents in law, a flea market, or a shop window I can´t walk past, I must stop and flip through them. And I think that describes the rare breed that we are, record collecting is a habit. I still have my early rap records from late 80ies/ early 90ies. I started proper buying Jungle and Hardcore in 94 and went backwards, I also dig Rave, Bleeps, Acid and early Detroit and Chicago House, the stuff that helped in the evolution of shaping electronic music. I also buy a lot of Funk, Soul, Rap, World Music and the like, the last years a lot on the 7” format. I never sold many of my records, only a few times as a teen to finance raving, I regret it soon after and bought them back over the years. I never worked in a record shop or had cheap access to records and never had crazy amounts of money at my hands, so it´s not an insanely big amount of records I possess. But it´s more about the quality than the quantity anyways. But I always spent all my money on records, from the school money days to the first money earned. I am not very materialistic apart from that, so it really is a habit, I wouldn´t know what else to buy with it haha. Discogs says it´s 6000, I think it must be something between 7000- 8000 as not all are listed. I have a lot of doubles though: If I replace a tune, or if I see a tune I love so much that I can´t ignore a copy at a good price, thinking it might find the right home through a trade I do or give it to a mate. So yeah, people hit me up if you are into trading, I have a list ready that I do my best to keep up to date, but the collection is bit of a mess lately so it´s hard to keep an oversight.
What are your 3 most treasured records (give a little bit of info on each one why they are so special to you)
The list would be different each day. But today I go for
Invisible Man – Skyliner Remix / You Don´t Know (Timeless) - A record a mate had since 94 and was always in rotation at our places. He gifted it to me to my birthday a few years later as he knew there is nobody loving it more than me. For proof go on Discogs and read my review. Nowadays I would draw for Twisted, The Beginning or The End, but none of these tunes would make such a nice story.
Flynn & Flora - Jungle Love Remix (Full Cycle Testpress) Okay, let´s be honest here, I list this due to the rarity factor, it was only available on the testpress of the Music Box remix (another absolute smasher and deffo in my Jungle Top 5 alongside DOPE – Travelling Part 2, Droppin Science 1, DJ Ron – African Chant and Borderline – Screwface) and got replaced by the original Music Box on the promo and official release. But it´s an absolute stunning tune and I honestly can´t believe this never got a proper release. So stunned I found this finally. Another one that was only available on test-press (and album with 4 tunes a side) is Ray Keith – Rinse. Engineered by Photek it gets a release on Knite Force next week, don´t sleep on it peeps. Also, another I like to mention here (as he´s part of the Full Cycle camp) is Krust – Arizona II, which was released by Okbron, it blew me off my feet when I heard this, one of his best tunes and it was unreleased. Pete Devnull just released Model – Eternal which is a beauty, and it will soon be followed by “Flight”, a Bukem plate everybody has been waiting for years! Trace – Definition of Living (Amen Mix) will soon be pressed too, what a time to be alive. There will be a nice press of something old and unreleased on Parallax too, but I don´t tell you just yet.
Big Vern, Evil Ed & Ram & Flight – Ruffer Than a Lion/ Digital Maximum (1+1). Not exactly that rare but just a tune I have a lot of love for lately (Again, got it since a long time, it was in the lot I bought in 94). Usually, it was always available but when I wanted to update my copy, I found out it rarely shows up nowadays. I wish Digital Maximum was a bit more mixing friendly and had a better mixdown, but Ruffer Than a Lion is just the blueprint of a tune I love. Not Lion Part 2 that many people prefer, for me it´s the tune alone on a side and it´s just perfect. I could´ve gone for much rarer stuff as people who know me know I´m a proper hunter for the rare and deleted stuff, so ask me again and I will name some different ones ;)
What records are top of your wants list?
The 10 that still give me eternal pain:
Ed Rush - Selecta - xct 001
A Guy Called Gerald - Kickin The Jungle Beat - Juice Box (JBOX 20)
The Urban Tribe - Untitled - Sub Assertive Sounds (CUE 6)
Outa Intelligence - Dreamer - Back2Basics (B2B 12005)
Photek - One Nation/ Say It - Prototype (PRO 006)
LTJ Bukem - Atmospheric Jubilancy - Good Looking (GLR075)
2 Bad Mice - Underworld - Moving Shadow (Testpress of SHADOW 26)
Noise Factory - The Future (A-Sides Remix) - Strictly Underground (STUR 41 TP)
New Jack Pimps - Good Times Remix / Perplex - Blast (BLAT 002)
Dubplates of Photek – Feeling Up and Defender - Workstation
If somebody out there is willing to part with any of these please holler at me!
Good luck with those bro, they are all rare as rocking horse shit!! Especially the Bukem one... Blimey, Somebody paid £1500 for that!! Thats insane! Anyway mate, tell us a crazy / random / funny story about something that has happened to you whilst out and about DJing
Hmm, craziest thing was possibly waking up in a bush in front of our residency Mahatma in the early 2000´s. I must´ve fallen and just fell asleep and when I woke up the sun was out and shining. My luck was in as two girls that slept in the car nearby drove me back to my place. I mean it´s better than the story where I fell asleep in a car on the way back from a gig and my driver and flatmate left me sleeping as he couldn´t wake me up. When I finally woke up, I had the worst hangover at 30+ degrees celsius, a dry mouth and realized I was trapped: The car was locked and as everything was automatic I couldn´t even turn the window down. So, I had to hammer at the windows and scream at people walking by to help me. By the time the car was surrounded by people staring at me like in a zoo my 60-year-old grumpy neighbor came by. He absolutely hated us, 4 guys in a shared flat nonstop partying, so you can tell he enjoyed this a lot! He still had the manners to enter the flat, shake up my flat-mate and I was out in no time.
Hahaha… I laughed out loud at that… Any final words??
Watch out for Parallax in 2023. Times are tough but we have so much lined up we just try to navigate through the stormy waters and bring you new EPs by Electronic Experienced, Worldwide Epidemic, Sync Dynamics, Radicall, Ricky Force and many more! The sequel to the Parazone album probably deserves an extra mention as it which will be MUCH bigger than the last project. Keep ‘em peeled!
Also... I just started the 'People Station' radioshow with DJ Chromz on Jungeltrain. Catch us bi-weekly between 6:30-8:30 pm (UCT+1), this week with special guest Tim Reaper!
Thanks for inviting me John and keep up all the good work you do!
You're Welcome bro! And you... please keep up the great work too. Another Parazone album!!! Thats really exciting, the first one was SICK!! Maybe i could submit a track? 😉
You can check out Vali NME Click doing a guest mix on my radio show tomorrow - Thursday 16th Feb... 10am - Midday (UK Time). You can catch the show live here: https://www.mixcloud.com/live/EruptionRadioUK/
Or if you miss it the podcast will be uploaded here a couple of days later... https://podcast.vinyljunkie.uk/
Here's some links. Go and check them out and be sure to follow!!
Parallax Recordings:
https://linktr.ee/parallaxrecordings
https://parallaxrecordings.bigcartel.com/
https://parallaxrecordings.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/parallaxrecordings
https://www.mixcloud.com/valinmeclick/
https://www.instagram.com/parallaxrecordings/
https://www.facebook.com/ParallaxRecordings
People Station Radio show
(Biweekly Saturdays 6:30-8:30 Pm (UCT+1) on jungletrain.net):
https://linktr.ee/peoples.station
https://soundcloud.com/peoples-station
https://www.instagram.com/peoples.station/
Design:
https://www.behance.net/vali_nmeclick
Dutch producer and DJ Tommy de Roos has been mutating jungle and hardcore as FFF since the mid 1990s. Piling noise and distortion on top of intense, complex breakbeats and gargantuan bass lines, he was one of the early innovators of the breakcore scene, as well as its dancehall-influenced raggacore subgenre.
Nowadays he is considered one of leaders in the new jungle scene alongside other monstrous names like Tim Reaper and Coco Bryce... I caught up with Tommy to find out what makes him tick!
Hi Mate. How’s your week going so far?
All good thanks, busy but good!
Can you give me a brief bit of background on yourself. How old are you, where you were born, where you grew up, what school you went to etc
I am 43, Born in Vlissingen in the southwest of the Netherlands. Lived there till 97 then I moved to Rotterdam (where I still live). After high school I tried several studies which I didn't finish. Ended up graduating from art school as an audio- visual designer in 2010.
So musically, lets start right at the beginning… Going way back, before raving and DJing and all that good stuff… What is your very earliest musical memory?
Not sure if it's my earliest memory but I was always obsessed with my parents’ records + the excitement of going to a record shop. Was about 5 or 6 when my mum took me to a shop filled with boxes with bargain vinyl. She let me pick something I liked. Picked out 2 records probably just for the artwork. Which had Skulls, monsters, and devils ;) Still have those records
When you were growing up, what music was likely to being played in your house? In other words… What was the soundtrack to your youth? And how did this music effect your future?
Was a mixture of things my dad listened to blues, rock and more experimental/psychedelic rock type things. I hear a lot of “Them” “Mink Deville” “Rolling Stones” “Zappa” “Soft Machine” “Dr John” “Pink Floyd “ and “Captain Beefheart” My mum listened to bands like “Alice Cooper” “The Cure” “Sisters Of Mercy” “The Pixies” and “the Cult” . This in combination with regular radio and watching music shows on tv. Think mainly the more experimental music had a big influence, made me search for more out there stuff. With this search my neighbour played a big role. He was (still is) a music collector and he always brought over records/cd's to my parents to check out. At some point he started bringing cd's for me to listen to as well. Introduced me to “The Residents “ “Ween” “Lard” lots of punk/hardcore, noise and experimental music and first time I heard “The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu“ was thanks to him. Those blew my mind and to a lot of those recommendations I still listen regularly. Also, my older cousins provided me with music, taped me cassettes with "Geto Boys", "Poor Righteous Teachers" and other hip-hop.
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
Not sure what my first record I bought myself was but the above mentioned 2 metal albums with amazing covers were probably the earliest I picked out myself. I do remember getting Iron Maiden's Powerslave and Twisted Sister’s Come Out and Play for my 6th or 7th birthday.
Are you a big vinyl collector? If so, how many records do you have??
Yessss I do collect. Probably between 5 – 6000. But the correct answer should be "never enough".
How was the rave scene in Holland in the 90’s? When & What was the first rave you ever went to? What was it like and how did this change things for you?
First house party I went to was in 1992, I think. It was a country wide anti racism rave, spread around venues across the Netherlands. My local youth centre / concert venue took part in it. It was great but the enthusiasm of buying records and informing myself about the culture was already there before this. I was 12 back then so it was mainly local parties like this (and small self-organised ones) Started partying more seriously mid 90s. Went to early breakcore/digital hardcore nights, jungle/d&b nights, Electro, and experimental electronic music nights. Later in the 90s early 2000s I went to a lot of illegal raves as well. The main rave scene over here was mainly a lot of gabber. Which I loved in the early days, bought the records etc but never went to one of those massive raves back in the day though.
When did you first start learning to produce and what inspired you to do so?
Started experimenting with sound early 90s, mainly with tape loops, feedback, and my sisters lesson keyboard. And around the same time trying out making music on trackers at friends houses. Thing seriously changed when my parents bought a pc around 96. Then I started using tracker software every day (and night)
Also, are you self-taught or did you go to college to learn music production… ??
Self-taught
What DAW do you use? Have you always used that? And do you have any hardware in your studio?
I use Renoise. Started with Fasttracker but it was the logical next step to use Renoise. I do have an Alpha Juno II but to be honest haven't used that in a while.
Why did you choose to call yourself FFF?
In the above mentioned Fasttracker software the code FFF was used to make the tune go faster. That's it ;)
You were very well established in the Breakcore scene. Do you still dabble with that or is it just Jungle now… Tell us about your transition from Breakcore to jungle and how do they differ?
I still use elements of that and make an occasional breakcore influenced track. Most of the breakcore I made was heavy jungle inspired. So nowadays the bpm is lower and less distortion. Tried to get more funk in the breaks instead of hi speed over the top breakbeats. Still love the first waves of breakcore and truly miss that sound. Not digging the clean tutorial breakcore that came later though.
You used to run a couple of nights in Rotterdam… Breakcore a GoGo and then Wreck Havoc. Tell us a bit about these nights and are you promoting events still?
Breakcore a gogo was one of the early breakcore nights in the Netherlands. Hosted this together with Bong Ra, Assassin & Dionysos at the Waterfront club (RIP). We booked a lot of international breakcore artists. Played breakcore and jungle there. 2001 – 2004. Wreck Havoc I organised with Thrasher (PRSPCT), Newk and Assassin at the Nighttown club (RIP) And Waterfront. This was a breakcore night as well but became more & more jungle later on. One of my favourite nights we had Bizzy B and DJ Moonraker playing. 2004 – 2010. After that I did some small events but haven’t done anything in years but since Rotterdam seriously is lacking a jungle night, I might start something again.
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at a rave by a big established DJ? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing all those people going mental to something you had made?
Always makes me happy when someone plays one of my tunes doesn't matter if it's an established DJ or not. The first time I heard one of my tunes at a rave in 2001 on a big sound system was something special. It was the tune "South west" from the EP:
Fast Forward / FFF - Untitled EP - Necromaniacs Industry.
Can't remember who played it or which Soundsystem but it was surely special!!
So, you have a label 3AM Eternal… Tell us about that…. How did it start and what is your Mission Statement…
Wanted to start a vinyl label for a long time. Had a cassette label mid 90s and did the DIY label Encounters with my mates Newk & Copacod.
I released an ep on one of the Triple Vision labels (Vibez 93) and after that release they gave me a chance to try to start my own label. That became 3AM Eternal. Mission statement is releasing music I love nothing more than that to be honest!
Why did you call your label 3AM Eternal? I assume it’s something to do with the KLF? Or not?
Haha yes! I am a big KLF fan. Had a list of potential names for the label including that one. I have one of those Kit Kat clocks in my living room that around the time I was starting up the label stopped working. It was stuck on 3 o clock, couldn't fix it so it's stuck on 3AM for eternity. Then I started putting things together and the name and logo were sorted.
What releases do you have lined up for the label??
First one that will be out is 3AM06 by DJ Sofa & Arkyn (March 31st) And after that 3AM07 is by FTL and have releases planned by Coco Bryce and probably another FFF ep.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
I think it's a good thing that records become available again for a new generation to play out. But luckily there's a balance with new releases as well. I think if it were only represses it would be different. Happy to see that there's tons of high-quality new releases. New blood is needed to keep the scene alive and fresh. It can't survive with only classic tunes.
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? discuss your reasoning…
I work at a record distribution and there is no sign of it fizzling out (yet). But with current economic changes it might change. If everything gets more and more expensive there might be less money left to spend on (also getting more and more expensive) vinyl.
Who do you see as your early musical influences and who continues to inspire you today?
Music in general too many to list to be honest!! But if I have to pick one; Jungle wise it's going to be Bizzy B. His output back in the day was so unique, energetic and instantly recognisable as him. Even some of the records he engineered for others have his sound. I love that he still is enthusiastic about the music and supportive to the new generation with his Youtube channel full of tutorials and weekly show showcasing old and new talent.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records, and even producing music in this style… It’s amazing… what’s your thoughts on this and how is it going to affect the future of the scene?
As I mentioned earlier, a scene cannot survive without new blood. There's so much fresh talent at the moment. It makes me so happy to see that this music is living on and with fresh new ideas added to the mix. The music moved so fast back in the day and all the tiny subgenres now finally get the time to get explored more. I think because the hybrids with different styles & scenes it will continue to evolve.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff?
The oldskool stuff sampled from material that was around them in that time or where they grew up on. Nowadays people go back to sample from the same sort of sources/styles/time. Some of it has been used too often but there are still producers using the same samples and still manage to make something fresh with it. And others dig deep to get original samples but in the same vein as the originals. This only counts for the oldskool sounding new stuff.
Some of the new tunes sound like they could've been made back in the day. Artists like Kid Lib and other GBW artists mastered the oldskool sound/technique and equipment so perfectly that it sounds like it was made years ago. Other new tunes you can hear instantly it is made nowadays due to certain daw tricks/effects or hybrids with more recent styles of music.
And what I mentioned in the previous question that sub genres came and went back in the day and nowadays sounds that were gone for years are being explored and experimented with again.
The similar thing between the oldskool tunes and newly produced tunes is the energy!!
Check out FFF's website here: http://tripletimesf.com/
If you missed the show you can listen back here:
Pt 1 of Tommy's Killer album is still available in store, but only a few left...
The name Ron Wells... And the name Jack Smooth even more so... Are names that should need no introduction to anyone with a passion for UK hardcore & Jungle. Ron is, without any doubts, one of the early pioneers responsible for shaping and steering the sound, not just with his own tracks but with the output of his labels '"Sound Entity" and "Smooth Recordings". The sheer amount of artists that passed through the Sound Entity studio to be produced and engineered by Ron is nothing short of incredible. That includes a huge chunk of the early Basement Records catalogue.
In more recent years, after a bit of a break from the music, Ron dusted off his studio and returned into the fold with new music and in 2017 with the help of Robin Allinson at MPS, he re-launched the mighty Sound Entity record label. Many great releases have followed... Some old bits re-issued including all the Hedgehog Affairs and Electronic Experienced... As well as some killer new releases. There was also the 4x12" Quest For Intelligence album by Fast Floor which came out in 2018 on Smooth Recordings, which includes all the classics like Plight Of The Innovators, 7th Heaven and Sweat Shop.
These releases have left many peoples mouth watering and chomping at the bit to get their filthy little mits on the digitals files. Ron has kept his wav files close to his chest up until now but i have some great news for you. Ron has just released a digital album "Jungle Techno Vol 1" which brings together a few of his different alter-egos, namely 20 Hurts, Electronic Experienced, Fast Floor and of course Jack Smooth. 15 classic tracks all remastered for 2023 and you can have the wavs for a mere 15 quid. It really is a no brainer right? I almost fell off my chair in a rush to get over their and buy it... The link to buy the album is at the bottom of the page.
I gotta tell you i was pretty excited when Ron agreed to do this interview.. I mean its not everyday you get to interview a living legend... So without further ado, i give you Ron Wells... The Godfather of Jungle Techno....
Eze Ron... Can you please start by giving me a brief bit of background on yourself. Where you were born, where you grew up, what school you went to etc… and what did you do for work before you started producing music?
I come from Acton, London. I had a somewhat unhappy home life on a British Rail housing estate. I have no qualifications except a few poor CSE grades and O Level art. I had 5 or 6 shit jobs in factories and warehouses between 1986 & 1989. All that time I knew I was unemployable, I simply wanted out of ‘The System’, but I had no idea at that time how to escape it, so I certainly didn’t know that music would be my saviour.
So musically, lets start right at the beginning… Going way back, before raves, Wax Factory, Sound Entity and all that good stuff… What is your very earliest musical memory?
My earliest meaningful memory is the Isao Tomita - Snowflakes Are Dancing LP, I would have been 4 years old in 1974. I was totally mesmerised by the sound of synthesizers and have been ever since.
When you were growing up, what music was likely to being played in your house? In other words… What was the soundtrack to your youth? And how did this music effect your future?
Every kind of MOR white music was played (nothing with any attitude, soul or groove). Nothing played at home either affected me or inspired me, except for the Tomita Albums and hearing Kraftwerk and other electronic / new wave music on the radio.
Did you play any musical instruments back then?
No, and I’m still a terrible keyboard player.
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
I have no idea. Most of my childhood music came from listening to friends tapes. My mate Anthony Bennett was my main source of new music as a teenager. We loved Soul, Electro / Hip Hop and Reggae. One of my shit jobs was working for a music distro company and during that time I bought loads of vinyl with staff discount. After that I used to go to record shops in central London every Saturday with my mate Axel (DJ Rhythm X – Confusion Revisited), (who I taught to mix) in 1987 to buy House music, almost all our wages went on music.
What was the first rave you ever went to? And how did affect your life!!
Axel took me too Spectrum in 1987-88 it was unbelievable and opened my eyes to club land, and to how the future of dance music was destined. We used to go out raving a lot as a crew, we went to all of the clubs, Shoom, DNA, Confusion, etc.
An important thing to note:
Back then it was all about the music. Often, you couldn’t see the DJ, he/she was tucked away out of main sight. You also probably didn’t know who was DJing either, there was no MC to tell you. Everything focused around getting lost in the music with amazing people. These days it has become a sad, pathetic joke with the focus on people miming and acting up over pre-recorded mixes, being filmed by dummies on their phones, who don’t even care they’re being conned. That ain’t club land. That is fake, plastic land. Dance music really has sunk to depraved levels by allowing ANY of this.
What DJ really blew your mind back in the 90’s?
No DJ has ever ‘blown my mind’, they just put records on – now it seems, most of them can’t even do that.
You started your music career as a London pirate radio DJ back in 1987? How did this come about and did you DJ in any clubs back then? (If yes please give us some details).
I worked in an electronics factory in Perivale and a guy was building a transmitter. When it was finished he launched Crystal FM in Kilburn. I asked for a show. Since nobody else there played House music it was easy to keep my show. I invited Axel to co-host with me and we did that for a while. After we were fired from Crystal for trashing their studio while totally stoned, I contacted Medina Radio in Harlesden and got a show on there. I’ve never really done that many gigs really. Myself and Axel did run the Starlight Club in Paddington for a few months, but we couldn’t fill it as we had no budget for promotion. We did a few big raves, Blast Off (we’re not on the flyer but we played). After beginning to make music I very quickly lost interest in DJing, I’m just not a natural performer, attention makes me feel awkward. And, I can only really satisfy myself artistically by creating something from nothing, in other words writing my own music. This is why I have never pushed for a DJ career, or advocated the sampling of whole sections of other people’s music.
When did you first start learning to produce and are you self-taught or did you go to college… In other words, how did you become such an awesome producer?
I am self-taught. I am neither an awesome producer nor a poor producer. I am good at what I do, but what I do is actually quite simple, compared to producers like Trever Horn and musicians like Roland Orzabal, Herbie Hancock, etc… there is a VERY long list of better musicians and producers than me.
What other producers did you see as your Influences back then?
Juan Atkins is the first that springs to mind, but I didn’t read credits back then, so I didn’t really know who was who. Crazy really because reading credits is how you learn who does what and who’s career to follow. I always read them now.
Your first release as Jack Smooth was Crowd Control in 1991. Was this totally engineered and produced by yourself or did you get some help?
All me, as were many of the tracks that went before that release.
Before that there was 3 releases in 1990 as Smooth & Simmonds. Who is Chris Simmonds and how did you guys end up working together?
He was also a DJ on Medina Radio
These 3 records (and many more to follow) were released on Wax Factory Records which was a label you guys set up yourself… Can you tell us the story of Wax Factory Records and how you operated without a distribution deal?
He knew how to get records manufactured, I made the vast majority of the music. I needed someone to make records, with a car to sell them. He needed someone to make music. Wax Factory was named and the logo was designed by me. We (he, I couldn’t drive back then) drove around the UK selling records direct to shops. Apparently Wax Factory is one of the first underground labels to do this.
You have gone under many aliases over the years… 20 Hurts, 4 Reel, Celestial Circuits and Sound Science (to name a few). What was the thinking behind having so many different artist names?
The more aliases I had, the more music I could release before people might say “Who does this guy think he is?” I’m not sure it would have been possible to release that volume of work under one name.
Tell us about Fast Floor… According to discogs it was a collaboration between you and a guy called Paul Clarke but then his name is crossed out. Whats the deal here?
I wanted to expedite the sound I was developing. Being a terrible keyboard player I needed someone who could play keys better than me so the music I heard in my head could be hummed to someone and quickly put in the sequencer before I forgot it. That helped me make more complex music, easier and faster. I instigated the project and named it Fast Floor. He is no longer a member of Fast Floor, hence his name is crossed out. Fast Floor is now just myself, as I no longer need the help of session musicians or collaborators to get the music out of my head and into Cubase.
Back in the heyday when Sound Entity Studios was a go-to facility for dance music producers, you had a lot of the big names in the scene passing through daily. Looking back now, please share some of your “stand-out” memories from these times.
The jokes between myself, DJ Phantasy and Marvin Beaver on a very regular basis will always outweigh any particular studio session. Side splitting dark humour and vicious cussing for hours and hours. The radio station we ran on Sky Sports in Europe ‘Dance Nation’ was probably the highlight as 14b Hillingdon Hill was a hive of activity then, and there was definitely no filler in our DJ schedule.
So Basement Records… A label (and record shop) run by you brother Phil Wells. You are responsible for engineering & producing (and co-writing in many cases) 42 records from the early catalogue. So you actually crafted the now iconic sound of basement records that is loved by so many…. How does that feel…??
He is not my brother, we just have the same surname. It was a good time at the beginning. I enjoyed working with and helping many people to make some decent records. It was an experimental time when DJs would play a wide range of music in one set. Lots of influences collided into making some tracks that have stood the test of time. I’m proud of some and not so much of others.
Apologies for that Ron. I was told many years ago you guys were brothers... My Bad. But anyway.... There is a distinct difference between the sounds of Basement and Sound Entity. Was this intentional?
I would say that Sound Entity gave Basement ‘The Basement Sound’ that people often refer to. If you listen to anything I’ve done before or since in Jungle, Techno & DnB, the sonic DNA of Sound Entity unmistakably correlates with the sound I gave to Basement Records.
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at a rave by a big established DJ? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing all those people going mental to something you had made?
No, I can’t TBH. I didn’t go out much and when I did I was already used to hearing my tracks on the radio a lot. It bizarrely became normal to hear 5+ tunes in most DJ’s sets. I was in the studio every day totally focused on making new music, the going out and hearing them part wasn’t a regular thing for me to do. Other people would tell me “X played 6 of your tracks last night and so did blah…” and that would obviously make me very happy and motivated to make more music.
How has production changed over the years? Back in 1989 – 1990 when you were producing the Smooth & Simmonds records… Things were much different then right? How much more difficult was it to produce a record back then in comparison with now?
I had almost no equipment, so the tracks were very basic. Now I have everything I could ever have imagined, but I still work in pretty much the same way, it’s just easier and quicker these days. You don’t have to work as hard because things just sound better, faster than the old days. I really admire Pete Cannon for purposely making his life difficult by building a genuine ‘Old Skool’ setup. He could make the same tracks in a modern DAW in much less time and with less effort but he chooses to do it old way and completely nails it.
What kind of sequencer were you using back then?
Roland MC300 AKA ‘The Cash Register’. The things I did on that beggar belief. I can’t imagine being able to do so many intricate edits on a 4 track sequencer with no computer screen now. DJ Phantasy used to have me doing crazy stuff on that sequencer. It baffles me that I pulled some of that stuff off TBH.
I know you still have a lot of hardware in your studio… Do you still use it a lot or have plug-ins taken over?
VSTs are almost certainly the future of electronic music. Hardware in most cases these days, is just jewellery. I have the jewellery but VSTs do most of my work. VST technology is only going to improve to the point of total hardware redundancy in the studio. Obviously hardware looks impressive and has uses for ‘live’ (live sequenced) performances.
What is your favourite synth (hardware) and why do you like it so much?
I will always adore the Korg 01W, nothing I’ve heard can properly emulate its waveshaping engine. Investing time and effort into the 01W has afforded me a unique sonic identity that ought to be instantly recognisable. However, since I’ve let the secret out, a few people have managed to coax ‘the sound’ out of it. I wish they’d make one where you can waveshape your own waveforms as a VST – I really want this!
You are a master at sound design… How do VST synths like Serum for example, compare to the old powerhouse synths like Juno / Jupiter/ Moog etc.
Digital synths and VSTs can do a lot more, considerably more. Analog synths are mostly ridiculously limiting compared to Digital/VST. What they do does often sound nice though.
Processing… can plug-ins actually do the job of real hardware compressors, saturators, distortion boxes etc… Discuss your reasoning…
Yes and my reasoning is because in my experience they actually already do and will only get even better.
What DAW do you use and have you always used that one? Have you tried any of the others?
Cubase since 1993/4. Have never used another DAW. Cubase does everything I could ever need and much more. I’m probably not even using 10% of its capability.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
Anytime an artist gets another shot at monetising their intellectual property is a very good thing. There isn’t really much else to say from an artist’s point of view.
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? Discuss your reasoning…
Thanks to Brexit, international sales are now a fraction of what they were. This means, sadly global underground record sales have probably peaked until a solution is found. The ‘Trade Deal’ that was done was a disaster for independent record labels. As usual it was done to satisfy the requirements of global corporates, without any regard for small business, the arts, etc.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… Its amazing… whats your thoughts on this and how is it going to effect the future of the scene?
It’s brilliant, you can’t rely on old gits to do this forever. I want to see more of it. In some cases the standard of new music cannot sink any lower, as in some of the EDM, Foghorn DnB nonsense I’ve heard. But recently I’ve noticed much more effort going into the making of notably better music and this is a welcome sign for me. J Cunning showcases a lot of great new music in his Tuesday radio shows. I try to listen in when I’m not at the beach.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff in your opinion?
When done well, it’s the same. I don’t use words like ‘Newskool’ because a track’s release date doesn’t make it another genre. If it’s good Jungle, Techno or Hardcore when it was made should be irrelevant. You don’t hear people saying ‘New Rock’, it’s all rock music. I don’t see how our music needs different naming rules. It also implies that the glory days of the music can’t be replicated, which is probably disrespectful to all the new artists making the music. The fact is, they can and they do make them like they used to.
I was really excited to see that you have just released a digital album on your Bandcamp called “Jungle Techno Vol 1”. This is a collection of some of your most timeless tracks released digitally for the first time. Includes classics like Plight of the Innovators, 1000 Phons, No 303, 7th Heaven and loads more (15 tracks in total)… You notice I said “some” as this is a tiny fraction of your work… Does this mean we will see Volumes 2, 3, 4 etc etc…??
Quite possibly in the future, yes
If so what tunes have you got planned for Vol 2????
I haven’t begun to think about that yet
You dedicated the album to Robin Allinson who sadly passed recently. Robin was instrumental in the rebirth of vinyl in our scene… I know you guys were close so I wondered if you would like to say a few words about Robin? (if you would prefer not to then feel free to delete this question).
He was a lovely humble guy who loved music and loved helping people, simple as that. Believe me, he must be remembered for making so many lost tracks available and reigniting many careers. Culturally a genuine ‘Blue Plaque’ contender. Even though his work sadly lasted a short time, he did a lot for our music in that short time.
What other projects do you have lined up??
Bloody loads and I’m supposed to be retired, but off the top of my head; multiple projects for Kniteforce, projects for VNR, Good2Go, Cantina Cuts, Furthur Electronix, Parrallax, Chicago Loop… I don’t like doing lists because I ALWAYS forget stuff, apologies if that’s so.
Any final words or shouts??
I just want to thank Robin for helping me to reengage with my music past and igniting passion for continuing my musical journey, because prior it had long come to an end. RIP hero of our music <3
… and of course everyone who supports me in any way, it’s always cherished and NEVER taken for granted.
Awesome. Thank you Ron, for taking the time to share some of your memories and insights with us... It's been a pleasure and an honour. Bless Ya!!
To purchase the Jungle Techno Vol 1 album click the link below:
https://emotionaldials.bandcamp.com/album/jungle-techno-vol-1
You can find Ron on facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/ron.wells.jack.smooth
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If you are into your breakbeat hardcore with an oldskool vibe then i seriously doubt that InnerCore will need any introduction. Since dropping his first InnerCore Project in 2018, Matt has gone from strength to strength with his production and some of those early records have become quite sought after now, changing hands on discogs for anything up to £70. I recently bumped into the man himself at DISSONANCE in Bristol. He played before me and was proper smashing the place up when I arrived... On vinyl.
So it was a no brainer for me to Invite the mighty InnerCore to come and do a guest-mix for my show on Eruption & Podcast... I also caught up with him for a little natter about belt-drive turntables, dubplates and some other stuff!
Hi Mate. How’s your week going so far?
Hi Vinyl Junkie, It’s been a fairly manic one to be fair. Been in Scotland for Christmas this year, with snow which was great! Hope you’re having a good week mate.
Yep… All good here mate, Xmas was a bit mental with the release of Jem 77 on boxing day… But anyway… Can you give me a brief bit of background on yourself. How old are you, Where you were born, where you grew up, what school you went to etc
Ok, I'm 42 years of age, I was born in Leamington Spa UK, I grew up in Bidford-on-avon which is a small village near Stratford-upon-avon. I went to Bidford infant/primary and then Alcester High School, which is where I caught the rave tape bug! Our bus driver was some cool young lady who now looking back at it must have been a raver back then (1991-1997), because she was happy for us to stick on our latest Fantazia rave tapes, Jungle Mania, the list goes on.. I used to swap rave tapes with mates at school, copy them and all that. I remember my favourite Dj's back then were DJ Slipmatt, DJ Sy, Ellis Dee, Mickey Finn, Randall, all the greats!
A raving bus driver! I bet her driving was a bit ropey on a Monday morning?So musically, let's start right at the beginning… Going way back, before raving and DJing and all that good stuff… What is your very earliest musical memory?
Ahhh wow, really going back to my earliest music memory here. It was a record my parents played to me as a kid, I must have been like 2 or 3 years old and it was a 45 Vinyl record of this song with a dog singing in it, I actually still have that record somewhere, I think it's called wonderdog? They also used to play me the Star Wars stories on vinyl and I remember being fascinated by all the laser sounds, R2D2 sounds and all the sound effects. Then in the late 80's I remember hearing M|A|R|R|S - Pump up the volume, and that stood out to me back then, I think it was the amount of samples and how they were used that just got me interested.
"Pump Up The Volume" by M|A|R|R|S... What a tune! So when you were growing up, what music was likely to be played in your house? In other words… What was the soundtrack to your youth? And how did this music affect your future?
I can remember a fair bit of funky disco stuff, The Beatles, Reggae stuff and my Mom loves Barbara Streisend. When my parents were still buying and playing Vinyl Records I think I was more interested in how the records were turning on a record deck and making music, it really is magic right! Saturday nights were all about sticking some music on and dancing around the living room, singing and just having fun. I don't think my love for music would be the same without my parents so I have them to thank for that. My younger brother told me a while back that he was speaking with a work colleague about music and his colleague turned around and said "I don't like music"...That still baffles me to this day? What! Each to their own I guess. Their loss! hahaaha
Someone said that to me once as well... "I don't like Music". It totally baffled me too. How can you not like music? Where would we be without music? And vinyl... Talking of vinyl... What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
Oh geeeez, this is either gonna look super embarrassing or super cool, the first record I bought with my own paper round money when I was 14 was Technohead - I wanna be a hippy. I think I saw it in HMV or Our Price (that's not around now is it?!) and just wanted to buy it on Vinyl. I didn't even have mixing turntables back then, just a record deck on top of my Alba Hi-Fi. Then I remember picking up a few other rave, hardcore bits and thinking I must save up for some actual decks. I was into graphics and drawing back then, I used to sketch up my own rave flyers and I was heavily influenced by Pez art, he did all the Helter Skelter flyers and art. My plan was to go into graphics design when I finished School, however the bug of wanting turntables took over and I didn't go to college, and I got a job in a factory which paid enough for me to save up and buy my first pair of belt driven Soundlabs! Wow they were fun, took a while to actually learn to mix. I used to just study and listen hard to DJ mix tapes and try and work out how they were doing it. Practice makes perfect, that's my best advice for any budding bedroom DJ's out there.
Whenever I have some spare cash (which is not that often nowadays being a family man), I will buy a record I really want. Between the years of 1997-2005 I was buying records every week, without fail. My collection is quite varied, a bit of house, trance, breaks, old skool, new hardcore, happy hardcore, jungle, and lots of drum and bass. My younger brother and I used to finish half a day every Friday when we worked together and then we would jump on the bus to the local underground music record store - it was called First Base, run by a chap called Clive. After going a few times, we got to know Clive well, even to the point where he would save the new white label promos drum and bass records for me and my brother to get first dibs on. This would have been around the 1999-2002 era, when we were resident DJ's at a local bi-weekly event called Tunnel Vision - Lost in Bass. With a friend we had met at a local free party, he invested in some pretty heavy subs. And the pub we used to DJ in was actually in a cellar type of venue. We used to rock that place, to the point where the shop above was complaining that the bass was making their goods fall off the shelf. We really did push it to the limit, there were no sound police and we just cranked it to how we wanted it. Great days thinking back to it now. This is also where we first played our own productions on actual dub plates! We used to drive up to Wednesbury to see a couple of lads with a lathe cutting machine, think they were called Urban Sonic? I still love the smell of acetate
I love the smell of dubplates in the morning... Smells like... Victory!! Haha... So when & what was the first rave you ever went to? What was it like and how did this change things for you?
I'm gonna break this down into 3 events, a club night, a rave, and a festival.
1994/95 - The first club night I went to was a Jungle/Rave music night in a pub called Buggsy's in Evesham. I used to buy rave tapes and scene magazine from a record shop in Evesham and pick up flyers. This event was really cheap, like £3 entry or something. So I got a bunch of mates and my brother together and we went along. We were all under-age, but we all got in. I can remember feeling a bit out of my depth, the smoke machine filled the room so you could barely see and the music was LOUD.
I also remember looking at people and thinking wow they are dancing weird, which I went on to learn they were just 'raving'. Dj Patience, DJ Ratty and Fallout were the DJ's playing that night. And it was an eye opening experience for me.
1995/96 First Festival I went to was the Phoenix Festival back in 1995 or 1996. I can't quite remember the year, but The Prodigy were playing! It was one hell of an experience, I smoked a lot of stuff and just had a mad time. One memory I have was the Metalheadz tent, with all the best Drum and Bass DJ's from that era. If I could go back and do it again, I'd probably appreciate it a lot more, back then I was still a kid really. However, I still have fond memories of that festival.
1998 - First proper 'rave' I went to was Flashback 2nd Birthday at the Que Club Birmingham , It was my mates birthday coming up and I bought us a ticket each after seeing the line up on a flyer in a Skateboard shop in Stratford upon Avon (Ziploc). When we got to the venue I was really nervous, but an excited, you know. And when we got into that main arena, my god it was breathtaking. The event was a focus on old skool music 1989-1993, so it was really cool to actually go and rave to the music I'd been listening to in my bedroom whilst growing up. After that initial que club outing, I went to the Que club as much as I could. I absolutely loved it in there.
The Que Club was a sick venue... Miss that place. So when did you first start learning to produce and what inspired you to do so?
I first started 'dabbling' with music production in the year 2000, and this was all down to my younger brother Luke. Whilst I was busy tightening up my mixing skills in my bedroom, Luke would be messing around making drum and bass music in this program called Music 2000 on the Playstation. At first I was like, what the hell are you doing, your not actually making the tunes just using sounds in the program. Then he started to actually make riffs, bass lines, and even sample in drum loops like the amen break for example. That's what it was then, we would make tunes, record them to tape and listen back on our walkmans at work. Then we met a guy called Anthony at work, and we got talking and it turned out he was a deep/progressive house music producer. He then gave us some music software on CD's, called Acid-Pro. And that is when I cut my teeth in the music production game.
Aare you self taught or did you go to college to learn music production… ??
All self taught, although a good friend of mine who I used to make music with in the early days is a pianist and he taught me the theory side of things like chords etc. But in terms of music production, I would say I'm self taught. I used to spend hours figuring things out, working out synthesis and getting a basic knowledge of how music is arranged. There was a drum and bass production forum, called DogsOnAcid which had loads of good information in regards to making drum and bass, back then.
I was even chatting with producers like Pendulum, Noisia and many others that went on to do huge things! The thing is with music production, it's a never ending learning curve, so you can never learn enough. There are no rights or wrong ways of making music as long as you get the result 'you' want.
Agreed... So what DAW do you use? And do you have any hardware in your studio?
I've used quite a few through the years, Cubase, Logic, Reason. But now I just use FL Studio. I work fastest in FL Studio, that's why I like it.
My setup includes:
PC Running FL Studio
Soundcraft Signature 10 Mixing Desk
Nektar Impact LX 49 Midi Keyboard
Roland Alpha Juno-1
Roland Mc-707
Roland JV-1080
Cyclone TT-303 Bass Bot
Behringer TD-3-B
Korg Poly 61
Korg 01/W
Commodore 64 w/cynth cart v1
Can you remember the first time you heard one of your tunes played at a rave by a big established DJ? Who was the DJ and how did it make you feel seeing all those people going mental to something you had made?
The stand out moment for me was when Ron Wells (pka Jack Smooth) played my tune 'Pinnacle' from InnerCore Project Volume 1. He played it as his first tune at the Dj Tango tribute night in Birmingham, and I remember standing back from the crowd and just watching them go for it. It was a great feeling, after many years of making music it's good to see all the hard work unfold before your eyes.
So you have a label INNERCORE PROJECT… Tell us about that…. How did it start and what is your Mission Statement…
Over the years I've always dabbled with making older 90's sounding tunes, and even incorporated those styles into Drum and Bass when I was making it. Then I found a Facebook group called 'MPS VINYL - Music Preservation Society' ran by Robin Allinson (RIP). I started collecting Vinyl again because of that group, and was loving the old sound again, so I decided to just go for it and make some jungle techno/hardcore breakbeat. I posted a short video of one of the tunes I'd done on the MPS group
and the reaction was overwhelming, even artists like Ron Wells, and Nico (from No-U-Turn Records) were commenting. Then Robin got in touch and said if I'd fancy doing a 4 tracker via MPS. And that is how it began, it was such a pleasure to work with Robin, and without him the Innercore Project label would not be what it is today, so I'm eternally grateful for that, and all the support from the MPS group and beyond. From Robin's connection I then got other signings on labels like Peace On Wax,
Kniteforce, Hardcore Vinylists, Parallax Recordings and more!
My mission statement is really just to keep that original early 90's to mid 90's vibe going, not get too technical with the music and keep a raw vibe and proper rave energy. Educating the next generation of ravers that weren't even born in the 90's, and continuing the legacy of the main artists of the glory days of rave.
What releases do you have lined up for the label??
Next up are the InnerCore Dubs Volume 1 and 2, these are basically tunes that were just lurking on my hard drive, unsigned. And during the lockdown I put them up as digital dubs releases. Then quite a few people asked if they were coming out on vinyl, there was no plan to and then Robin from MPS got in touch and said he would put them out as a Vinyl release. Sadly that was the last project I'll be doing with Robin, so until I get some more tunes together and sort out the pressing etc that's all I have forthcoming on my label for now. But it's not over yet, trust me.
I should hope not... What's the biggest gig you ever did and how many people did you play too??
The biggest I can think of right now is when I DJed a drum and bass/jungle set for Sika Studios crew at Boardmasters Festival in Newquay. I remember looking up at the crowd half way through the set. The area I was playing had just filled up massively. I could just see a sea of people having a good time, I can't tell the exact numbers of people but it must have been in the 800-1000 range. I want to play some bigger gigs again in 2023, so promoters get in touch!
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss...
I think it's 100% a good thing, for one it gave me a chance to collect some of my favourite tracks from back in the day, without paying ridiculous prices on Discogs or eBay. And I think I speak for many record buyers when I say that.
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? discuss your reasoning…
My thoughts are that it will just continue to grow, although the digital era is very much upon us, you cannot hold an mp3 in your hands and put it on a record player. People like to collect things and have something to show as a collection. As far as I know there are new pressing plants popping up here and there, so that's a good sign that Vinyl is continuing to grow.
Who do you see as your early musical influences and who continues to inspire you today?
Going back to 1991, The Prodigy, Altern8 and other rave groups like The Shamen really caught my ear. I think all of those still continue to inspire me, as they are all still active in some way or another. And they haven't just faded away like a lot of the early 90's acts.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… It's amazing… What's your thoughts on this and how is it going to affect the future of the scene?
I think it's great that the younger generation are getting to experience it. There was a time when I was a teenager in the mid 90's and I used to think, I hope this music is still around when I'm a bit older, thankfully it is! As they say "Hardcore will never die".....I think it can only be a positive thing for the scene, and the generation making the tunes now will hopefully inspire the next generation and so on.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff?
If it's done right it can be just as good or sometimes even better. Take Pete Cannon for example, his tunes and remixes are really taking that old skool sound and putting a new spin on it. There are so many other producers doing it right as well, too many to mention here! I've also seen comments on my music saying stuff like "if this was made in 93 it would fit right in '', which is good to see.
Tell us a funny story about your adventures out on the road DJing.
One that springs to mind is when my mate Marc (Dj Onyx) and I were djing drum and bass in Lithuania, the crowd were going bonkers. We had people in the crowd trying to give us money during the set, god knows why. We didn't take it and just carried on DJing, the energy was high and then someone let off CS Gas bombs, we were like what the hell is going on, and just continued to DJ. Straight after our set we were approached by some dude with a video camcorder and a mic as if it was like 1994 or something and he asked if we can do an interview, so off we went into the crew room and did an interview, I remember thinking here I am just finished a 2 hour set of madness, sweating my nuts off and now I'm doing an interview. The Lithuanian promoters were absolutely great to us though and treated us like royalty, is was all a bit overwhelming to be honest, because we didn't expect anything and just wanted to go and represent our sound. And that same ethos stands today with InnerCore, it's about music, not about egos.
Any final words or shouts??
Shouts to yourself (Vinyl Junkie) for inviting me to do a mix and interview for your radio show…….
I'd like to say a special thanks to Robin Allinson (MPS Vinyl), who sadly passed away recently. His work with me will always be remembered and without him my label probably would never exist. He gave me lots of great opportunities, for example remixing The Hypnotist tune - Hardcore you know the score. If you'd have told me 10 years ago I would be remixing that tune officially, I would have laughed at you. Robin made things happen for InnerCore, simple as that.
Also I'd like to shout and thank the following;
All my family, my friends, all the record labels I've worked with, all the producers I've worked with, all the DJ's supporting the InnerCore sound, especially Jay Cunning and Billy Daniel Bunter for really pushing my tunes to the masses. All the promoters that book me to DJ, Foundations, Calling the Hardcore, Wax On, Dissonance, Jungle Syndicate, the list goes on. Ron Wells for the inspiration and generally just being really helpful when I've asked production questions in the past, most producers from back in the day wouldn't even give new producers the time of day!
Shouts to all the mastering engineers, Robert @Subvert Central, Lawrie @curved pusher, Simon @the Exchange, Beau Thomas @1087 for making my music come to life. I also want to say thanks to all the pressing factories that have been under major pressure the last few years, Phil East for example is a major player in the independant underground dance music scene, and his hard work needs to be recognised.
The original Djs and producers from back in the day such as DJ Tango (Rip), Ratty, Fallout, Essence of Aura, Jack Smooth, Top Buzz, The Prodigy, Acen, DJ Luna-C. And also shouts to the new Dj's Producers such as Pete Cannon, T-Cuts, Worldwide Epidemic, DJ Jedi, Tim Reaper, Sherelle, Shadowman, Elusive, Dee Sub, Glowkid (for the blogs etc), Skru (for all the breaks samples), and of course all the people buying and supporting my music.
LINKS -
http://innercoreproject.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/innercoreproject
For Dj bookings or remix work email - innercoreproject@outlook.com
Check the radio show...
LISTEN LIVE: http://www.eruptionradio.uk/player
LISTEN BACK LATER: https://podcast.vinyljunkie.uk/
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My memory is pretty shot so I’m struggling to think of an answer for this, but I guess it was something pretty gangster like the sound of music soundtrack.
That is pretty Gangster!! You’re an OG! So when you were growing up, what music was most likely being played in your house and how did it influence your musical path?
I wasn’t from a hugely musical household; my mum would play the Beatles a fair bit and there was a little pile of records that I used to scroll through every now and then out of curiosity, but it was nothing that really influenced me later in life.
OK, so what was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
I bought that Christmas tune, “feed the world” from Woolworths on 7”. I guess I was around 9 when that came out. Still bangs to this day!
Woolworths! Now that’s a blast from the past… So for our younger readers Woolworths was a chain of department stores, a bit like a poor man’s John Lewis lol. So anyway, when/where/what was the first rave you ever went to and how did it effect your life?
The first rave I went to was at a club called Sterns in Worthing. It was the end of November in 91 and I got taken up there with my mate by his parents when I went to stay at his one night I was 14 years old and it absolutely blew my mind.
Below is a video of Tim in action at Distant Planet!
I come from a place called Rustington which is just along the coast from Brighton. In-Ter-Dance at sterns in Worthing was a Mecca for raving on the south coast until it closed in 93. You had it all there, Hardcore, early jungle and garage/house. There were also a lot of raves in Brighton although I always found them harder to get into with my fake N.U.S card…
Ahhhh. Gutted to say I never made it to Sterns. Have only heard good things though. When did you first start learning to mix records and what inspired you to do so?
My mate whose parents took me to Sterns used to collect early rave tunes on vinyl and another friend had a pair of technics SL22 decks and I was totally fascinated by everything surrounding the music and couldn’t wait to have a go at mixing. I’d mix with their gear until ‘93 when I started buying tunes and I got my first set of decks.
Why did you choose the name “T-Cuts”?
The name T-Cuts originated more when I was playing Hip-hop and getting more into turntablism a little later into me DJing. There is nothing too creative behind the name really. The T stands for Tim and the cuts were what I was doing over beats at the time. I had an old mixtape called Bringing back the Shine with a rip off cover of a well-known car polish on it..
I did wonder if you were a spray painter! So what DJ’s have influenced you over the years and how have they influenced your DJing style?
Rave and Jungle DJ’s I was massively influenced by were Ratty, his style back in 92/93 was unmatched and loved trying to emulate how he would mix. Also, Randall for his unbelievably tight mixing skills and just letting the mixes roll forever. That was always a sight to behold. Then there are the influences from the hip-hop scene such as DJ Craze, Cashmoney and Roc Raider. When I started to learn more about what they had to offer it just opened the possibilities of what a DJ could do.
When and where was your first DJ gig and what are your memories of this night?
My first gig was in ‘95 at a night called Jungle Pressure in Worthing. I think it was supporting DJ Vibes (Rock&Vibes), Pigbag and local heads who were putting the nights on Quantum and Rok One. The energy in the club was electric, it was a small venue in Worthing called “The Factory”. Camo netting draped from the ceilings and dry ice making it hard to see in there. That experience really cemented my love for playing out.
Vinyl DJing Vs Digital DJing… What do you prefer and why? And how do they differ?
My main love is for playing Vinyl as I just feel it has a lot more character to it and I love a challenge when playing out and for those who play wax will know all about those challenges. I think you would be foolish to not want to embrace the digital side of it though. The only downside I find is forgetting track names and endlessly scrolling through until it jogs my memory haha. You can definitely have fun playing digital.
So music production… When did you start and what kit were you using?
I first got invited to the studio in about 96 and I did quite a few sessions with an Engineer called HellRazor at Dance Floor Studios (these guys did all the tapes for In-Ter-Dance). They had the classic set up for the time. Atari, Akai S950 and a load of other goodies. Not that I was at the controls, but I would play basslines and harmonies etc on the midi keyboard and say how I wanted the tune to sound. I was pretty green to it all though and a bit naive when it came to learning all about the sample side of things but the more I went the more I learnt.
I see that you had a release under your alias “Young Husler” back in 1996, tell us how this release came about.
Yes I used to go under the alias of the Young Hustler back then. I thought it was cool at the time. Makes me cringe a little now though, not gonna lie. Hellrazor had a label called Breakthough records and he put two of my tunes out on the label although there were only ever 50 copies made. I found it mad to spot some copies on Discogs!
After that, according to discogs… there was a 23 year gap before you released any more music? What happened there? Where the hell were you lol ??
Well, that isn’t necessarily the case, i didn’t really stop making tunes I just never really released them into the wild. I made about another 6 tunes at Dance Floor which I just got cut to dub at Music House and JTS and would rinse them in my sets. Then when the jungle scene quietened down the studio shit slowed down and there weren’t many events happening so that’s when I started making basic loops for me to scratch over. This was Hip-hop and in the early 2000’s I made some tracks with some MC’s from the USA through MySpace. I guess I just did it more as a bit of fun back then and was more into scratching and learning beat juggles. I suppose around 2015 I started messing about more with making jungle tunes but again was mainly just for fun so never did anything with them.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
The great debate! I think it’s a good thing as it brings new life to a tune that people have most probably been out priced of buying an original of. I guess the only worry for a collector is the drop in value of the originals if they do get repressed. I’m just not keen on artists cashing in with greedy price tags for the old classic line “I have just found a box in the loft”.
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? discuss your reasoning…
It’s really hard to tell how vinyl will go moving forward. I think you will always have your die-hard wax heads that will buy tunes no matter what and we’re in such a niche scene that I think things will just keep going as they are. I’d always encourage CDJ’s to broaden their horizons by getting decks and learning that craft too and I think once they start that they’ll discover that attraction of digging through the crates for tunes rather than just loading up rekordbox.
Pete Cannon talking about the colaborative release he did with Mined.
You started Mined Records in 2019 and have had a steady flow of releases ever since. What inspired you to start a label and what is your mission statement for Mined?
I had a couple of pretty heavy blows dealt to me and realised just how short life can be so decided to just go all in with what I loved the most and so Mined was born. My mission was to create an outlet for my music and to help give others a chance to get their music out as I feel that’s very important to keep the music going. Two things for me which are key are authenticity and to just let the label grow organically.
Have you had any involvement with running labels before you started Mined?
Mined was the first label I have had any involvement with, I figured out how hard can it be haha.
I love the Mined logo, it is pure genius… But was wondering… how did you come up with the logo and is there a reason why you called the label Mined?
I came up with the logo idea for Mined one night whilst suffering with insomnia. I wanted it to represent a few things really. The miner helmet was to indicate the digging for samples, breaks and hidden gems and the brain to represent a conscious movement and to share knowledge. I still have the original sketch that I drew off the logo that night at 3am.
How is the current state of the economy effecting you as a label?
Things are definitely difficult at the moment. It’s always such an unknown bringing a record out, especially when people are being far more selective in what they spend their money on at the moment. We just have to keep pushing through and hopefully we can inspire others to do the same and keep growing our scene.
I see lately you have been releasing some super-limited music on Dub only? How is this going for you and what was the thinking behind it?
The Dubs have been really successful. It trips me out how quickly they sell. I put them up for sale and within 20 minutes they are all gone. I just thought it was a good way to keep the tunes coming out while the pressing had slowed up at all the plants. A few other labels seemed to have followed suit now.
Your latest release on Mined, which we currently have in the shop, is a collaborative release with N4 Records. How did the link up with the legendary Pete Cannon come about?
Me and Pete go back a long way. We met through Hip-Hop back in the early 2000’s and discovered our mutual love for jungle and hardcore. We made a tune together called “Buzz Ed” which was released on N4 003. That tune fetches a pretty Penny on Discog’s now. Pete suggested doing a joint label release so it was just a matter of getting the right tunes for the project. Couldn’t be happier with how it all came out, right down to the artwork. It’s been getting some mad support on the dance floors which is awesome.
Whats coming next from Mined? What releases do you have lined up and any other upcoming projects / events?
Next up for Mined we have some more jungle goodness. Tunes are made but I just need to get the wheels in motion for the release. Looking to get those out around late February early march if all goes to plan. I’ll also be dropping a small re-run of a couple of tunes of mine on 10in lathes. A jungle techno tune called “Loosen Grip” and a crazy little amen number called ‚”G’owan Gangster”. Both tunes have seen support from the likes of Billy Bunter, Jay Cunning, Swankout & Pete Cannon. Got some good shows to announce. I’ll be out in Amsterdam in March for the Jungle Weekender which is definitely a bucket list gig. That’s going to be a hazy one for sure. We have some in stores planned as well as some other exciting things to announce but not just yet… I’m also working on another project with Daddy Nature and Chilli Dubs called “Rolling Thunder”. We have some new music in the works which will be dropping later in the year on all digital formats. These tracks have more of a roller vibe to them and we’ve been trying to capture that 95-96 Raggamuffin style with guest vocalists. We’re playing at the Ministry of Sound on December 3rd and we have a whole heap of shows to announce for next year but again can’t really say where yet.
Is Music production and running a label your main source of income? If not what is your day job?
It’s pretty much my full-time job. I still do a couple of days a week of plastering just to keep the wolves from the door. I’m also a full-time dad to two boys who keep me busy. I have a studio in my garden so it’s nice to shut myself out there and get lost in the tunes.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records, and even producing music in this style… It’s amazing… what’s your thoughts on this and how is it going to affect the future of the scene?
Younger generations coming into the scene can only be a good thing. It’s making the scene a lot more accessible for everyone rather than like back in the day where the gate keepers dominated.
Music is for everyone to enjoy no matter what colour or creed you are. The scene would just die if new life wasn’t brought in.
You done an awesome guest mix for my radio show and podcast which was aired on November 17th. Tell us about the mix… Why you chose that particular selection of tunes and did you record it digitally or on vinyl?
For the mix I just wanted to grab a selection of wax from my collection that I just don’t play that often and maybe people haven’t heard either. It helps keep you on your toes and not too comfortable by playing the same old same old. This was all mixed on vinyl and recorded at Mined HQ.
You can listen back to the show here: PODCAST
So... How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff?
There have been some really good releases coming out. I’m not so keen on over polished stuff. I feel that tunes still require a nice bit of crust to capture the rawness of the foundation sounds.
Do you have a big record collection and how long have you been collecting?
My record collection is pretty big and always growing. I started collecting in around 1993. I have a good chunk of 91-99 rave/jungle/drum&bass. A large selection of golden era hiphop (US & UK) a heap of reggae 45’s and 12’s, funk, soul, and miscellaneous charity shop booty which is where I grab most of my samples from.
What are your 3 most treasured records?
Now this is a tough one. I’m going to have to say Prodigy and “Your Love” as that was on one of my first tapes that helped me discover the genre. Then I’ll have to say Roots Manuva “Witness”. That tune sounds so good on a big system. The bass on it is just relentless and it’s a classic UK hip-hop tune. And thirdly I’ll say Maceo and the Mack “Cross the tracks” as it was a track I used to use a lot to practice my beat juggles with plus Kid N Play sampled it and the track was in House Party which I watched A LOT when I was young.
What record is top of your wants list?
I would love to get my hands on Dark and Moody vol 1 as that was a gem from 93 and fetches a lot of money now.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you out on the road DJing?
When I was playing a lot of Hiphop I was ina duo with a rapper by the name of Suave Debonair and whilst on a journey to play a show in London the head gasket started to go in the car and we had no water in it to make the last couple of miles to the gig so we both pissed in a bottle and poured that in the engine. It kept the car going so we could play. Improvise, adapt and overcome Haha! Safe to say we had to get the RAC to take us home.
Any final words or shout-outs??
I’ve got to send big love out to my two boys and Jess for the support. Love to all the crew on Mined, Disdained, Fend!K, Janaway. Swankout for his help with mixdowns and masters. Jay Cunning for always repping my tunes. Pete Cannon and N4. Shouts to Rompa and Ollie. RK Bass, 1800Dub plate, Green king Cuts. Distant Planet for keeping the culture going and Vinyl Junkie for having me on.
For more info and T-Cuts and Mined records, you can check out this recent interview he did with our good friends over at Distant Planet.
So I caught up with my old mucker Madcap to chat about some stuff!!!
Hi Mate. How’s your week going so far?
Yes very good sir, thanks. I’ve just about recovered from The Rave Story and Distant Planet over the weekend. Both were amazing events and it was great catching up with everyone. I’ve got a week off in the sun now to reset and to spend some quality time with the family.
Yes Rave Story was amazing wasn't it? I'm sure Distant Planet was too, awesome party that! So lets start at the beginning… What is your earliest musical memory?
Probably seeing My Dad on his guitar and singing.. He had converted half the front living room to a studio space to mainly write songs, before he went to another main recording studio up the road.
When you were growing up, what music was being played in your house?
Mainly Rock & Roll. My Dad was influenced by Eddie Cochran, Elvis, The Beatles, Little Richard etc. My Mum was 9 years younger and more into the sound of Motown. My older brother was into Jimi Hendrix but also Ska and Reggae so a combination of live music. The first artist I really liked was Micheal Jackson. Hearing those early albums and later seeing a VHS called The Legend Continues amazed me and definitely introduced me to other artists like James Brown, Quincy Jones etc.
Your mum & dad were both musicians yes?, how did this effect your musical direction?
My Dad was a singer / songwriter he had his own band called Mainland, they released an Album and toured a lot in the late 70’s. After the band departed he did solo tracks and released music on labels like RCA. He continued to tour and gig and was awarded a plaque to recognise his hard work. It’s in the Quay Arts Centre on the Isle Of White. He was born on
The island, we recently went down to see it as it was originally at a venue he used to regularly play at called the Pegasus in Marlow Bottom, Buckinghamshire. From the late 80’s he built a home recording studio and continued to write and record until he passed away a few years ago. He would hire out to local bands and engineer their tracks. He even did an early rave tune with Pascal, where he played the stabs. It’s called the F.U.B.A.R EP and came out in ‘92 Also MC Conrad came up once for a session. That was in 1994 and I remember meeting him and listening to those early Good Looking tunes on his cassette.
My mum is a piano teacher and originally taught pupils from home. She currently works at a school twice a week and still teaches from home.
it was inevitable I would get into music, they would both support me DJing. Even take me to early gigs and help out when we would hire a local hall etc.
They were both a huge influence on me and as you can imagine gave me some sound advice and from a different perspective.
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
I was probably around 8 or 9 and purchased a best of Jackson 5 LP.
Before you started DJing… Were you going out raving much these days? What party stands out the most in your mind and why?
I started DJing at the end of 1992 as a young kid, so couldn’t go to any big raves due to my age. I was obsessed with the music and had to make do with the countless rave tapes that were doing the rounds at school. I started to learn about the artists and tunes through magazines like Blaze and Eternity. We got to go out to a few local parties called Technology and Phase One and we were lucky we could get in and see DJ’s like Swan-E, Dr S Gatchet, Slipmatt etc. from 1994 I attended an event at the legendary Sanctuary In Milton Keynes, this was an over 14’s event called Evolution 5, this is an early highlight as you could here all your favourite DJ’s in this massive purpose built arena which held about 3500 people. These events only went on until 1am and it was handy having cousins in MK or we got a coach which was included in the ticket price, but they were amazing and a great introduction for me.
Personally for me, the rave scene changed my life… Is that the same for you and Where do you think you would be now if we never had that?
The rave scene 100% changed my life. I’ve not often thought where I’d be with out it but I’m sure I would have been involved with a music scene of some sort.
The early 90’s was a magical time for the music and the scene in general. When did you first discover the rave scene and how do things differ now from back then?
As mentioned above I was originally into MJ. Most of my friends were. Towards the end the 80’s everyone I knew naturally got into Hip Hop and we loved NWA and Public Enemy. My older brother hung about with UK rapper Silver Bullet and gave me a cassette. He knew I liked Hip Hip and thought It might be up my street.. He wasn’t wrong, I loved it. The breaks were faster and the tunes had energy!! Looking back for me personally this was a direct link between that and what I heard on these early rave tapes circulating in school and even in the charts around 1991. Tracks like T99’s Anasthasia, R&S , early Prodigy we’re all very early influences.. My friend at school was cousins with Danny Breaks aka Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era and had been sent ‘Far Out’ he played me this track and I loved it. Again we were very young and only had limited access but you could listen to the tapes and even check out what was going on Normski’s House Party / Dance Energy.I heard loads of early rave tunes on this program. Of course it was amazing when could actually go out and hear it nice and loud and feel that sub bass for real!
When did you first start learning to mix records and what inspired you to do so?
In 1992 my dad gave me a second hand turntable to play the few records I had. It had no pitch and no feet. You had to use turn the lid upside down for it to balance. Around the same time I got a small mixer and a HIFi belt drive deck with a pitch control so at least I could mix one record in. Thinking back I believe hearing the early rave tapes inspired me to DJ.
What DJ’s have influenced you over the years and how has that influenced your DJing style?
Originally I had early tapes from Stu Allen, Slipmatt, Top Buzz, Carl Cox, LTJ Bukem, Randall, Ratty, Sy & Hype. All of these were a major influence on me, either for their mixing, scratching or music styles or all 3. This was around 1992-1993. I still listen to these sets & have loads of favourites.
I’ve definitely taken on elements from each of these DJ’s and then experimented with other mixing techniques along the way.
You once one a DJ competition and won some turntables. Tell us the story…
This was back in 2002. I had entered the comp via DJ Magazine and it was sponsored by Bryan Gee’s Movement night and Technics. You had to submit a demo CD and you had to wait to see if you got a space.
I got contacted 3 days before the event saying hundreds of DJ’s had entered and I had made the top 5. I went down The End, London and had to perform a 30 min set in front of a packed crowd and 3 judges, Bryan G, Patife and Carl Loben (Editor of DJ MAG) I had took about 30 mates along for support and won the comp winning the decks and mixer.. The only issue was Technics had sent these to the club and they were being used in room 2 and there were DJ’s on until 6am. Most of my mates had gone by then and I was left with about 3 mates each carrying something, we travelled by Taxi and Coach and at one point the driver took us down a wrong way and I thought we were getting robbed lol. The boxes were really obvious and had Technics labelled all over them. Safe to say we got them back in one place even if we had to walk the last 3 miles. Wining this comp got me a lot more work and was definitely a highlight.
Cool story bro. When and where was your first gig and what are your memories of this night?
We put on lots of parties around our way. My first gig we put on was called Bassline Biology. My Dad helped with the sound system. I think we charged a couple of quid to get in just to try and cover the hire of the place. It went well and we carried on with more In different shapes and forms up until about 2006.
Vinyl DJing Vs Digital DJing… What do you prefer and how do they differ?
Ahhh the long debate, Personally I prefer Vinyl, however since 2002 I have embraced CDJ’s. However, when I’m doing old skool sets I prefer to play off wax. As you know the tunes weren’t as tight as they are now. There’s lots of advantages to taking a couple of USB’s stacked with thousands of tunes that don’t jump. don’t brake your back, you can loop up and take it to another level on the mixing etc. at home I mainly use Serato for mixes and radio, that way it involves both.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
Personally I think it’s a great thing and gives my originals a rest, some have been played out so many times. It also gives the new generation a chance to get hold of a copy
Have you been buying many of them yourself and which ones did you start dribbling about the most?
I was quite excited by the recent Crystl ones and hope they do more.
What record would you most like to see get the Repress treatment??
I would love to see a few of the basement records and more from Reinforced.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… Its amazing… whats your thoughts on this and how is it going to effect the future of the scene?
It’s amazing for sure, especially after the last 2 years where no one could go out. Most of the gigs I’ve been doing recently have had a much younger crowd & I love the fact they are really into the music and culture. We’ve also done a couple of record fairs this year and it’s wonderful to see the younger generation purchasing vinyl.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff?
We all have a soft spot for the originals. Though so many new tracks I’m hearing sound very well produced but yet include that classic authentic sound we all love. May it continue.
You currently run Creative Wax with the labels founder DJ Pulse. How did this come about?
I originally met Pulse in Buzz Records and used to purchase purchase records from him. We always stayed in contact and then started to see a lot more of each other around the mid 2000’s we decided together to re-launch and the first release was my remix of the late great Tango’s Understand.
The label has been a bit quiet of late… Whats going on and what (and when) is your next release?
Covid delayed a few things. But we have just released a 12” marble vinyl called Planet Funk b/w Flava by Pulse. This was exclusive to The Rave Story and will be available again at a Clashmouth on 26th November. We have also just released a new design of T-Shirts and Sweatshirts. In 2023 we plan to release more records. Keep an eye on the socials.
I know you own a shit-load of records. How do you keep them in order and how long would it take you to find a specific record??
They are mostly in year order. However some of it is in label order or stored in a particular musical style. I can find most of it, but there is always something hiding away in the racks haha. Every now and again I’m resorting, but it’s a task and a half.
What record is top of your wants list?
Tom & Jerry – Physics. I’ve got most of the Tom and Jerry back cat but just not this one. Maybe I’ll have to cut it to Dub...
Yes, that would defo work out cheaper... Tell us a crazy / random / funny story about something that has happened to you whilst out and about DJing?
I think I’ve done most of the embarrassing things like take the wrong needle off, play it on the wrong speed. I even did it at Distant Planet recently and quickly realised.. You have to kind of style it out and laugh it off.
Tell us about the mix that you have done for my radio show/podcast.
It’s a mix of some of my current favourites from AKO Beatz, Deep Jungle and other labels focussing on the slower 165bpm Jungle. I’ve included a few of mine which came out on the first Vibez ’93 EP. Most you can get from your shop.
You can click here or on the above image to check out the podcast (Fully Track-listed).
Cool... Any final words??
Just to say a huge thanks to all my family and friends for all their support also respect to all the artists & promoters for pushing good music and flying the flag, Not forgetting the ravers going out supporting the scene. Big Love x
Brilliant! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview and mix. Bless x
Below is a couple of Madcap records we have in the shop in limited numbers.... Grab one before they are gone :)
Vinyl Junkie caught up with Lee to chat about the label, vinyl, music production and more...
Hi Mate. How’s your week going so far?
Hi John, absolutely fantastic, lots going on in life and with the G2G label, plenty of project planning, design work and most importantly lots of time in the studio making all things underground.
So lets start at the beginning… What is your earliest musical memory?
My earliest musical memory, I think tbh I was brought up on music most of my life and always seemed to take to it like water, but it’s gotta be Desmond Dekka’s Shanty Town, Also Adam and the Ants Stand and Deliver when I was 5ish.
When you were growing up, what music was being played in your house?
I was brought up to love a variety of music rather than one, but it had to be most Ska music and your more Mod rock, Police and the Jam bands.
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
My first ever record that I bought was a 7” of Marky Mark and Funky Bunch’s - Good Vibrations, and even today I still love that track for the female vocals. I believe I was 12 as it came out in 1991, bought from Tower records.
What was the first rave you ever went to and how did it effect your life?
Ok so I have to go back some years, it’s gotta be ENERGY which at the time was run by Sydney of Bassment Records in Southend On Sea, What happy days. I think I was 15 at the time and not having a lot of money back then, anything we earned just went back into music, that was the way of life then. Being I was quite young and the world around us was just Hard ore and Jungle, a few of my close friends and I ventured out and what can I say, the feeling, the adrenalin, watching LTJ Bukem and Danny Breaks as the headliners and Bazil who at the time worked at Bassment records just smashed it. I believe the MC on the night was Spangler G.It’s hard to explain to anyone who didn’t witness those days, That feeling and buzz which was thriving then. The place was packed and all I did was just dance the night away to all the fantastic new records coming out. I would say at that point in 93/94 that kicked started my love for the music and scene, even though I was a bedroom music guy, this event just changed my mindset completely, WOW is all I can say!
When did you first start learning to mix records and what inspired you to do so?
After I purchased Marky Mark - Good Vibrations at 12/13 , I started buying records by the bulk loads with every penny I could get, and a lot of those were Rave compilations as you had more tracks on one LP. But playing those on one Thompson player just didn’t cut it. So I asked my old man if he could help me buy a double deck and mixer, and what did I get? Ha ha an oldskool Vintage Twin deck console with built in mixer, had no pitch, so to mix you had to do real well, I just loved it.So that was my first set of decks and from there the world just got bigger. I think then at that age, technology was something I always loved and with music they both came hand in hand, so what inspired me was how DJ’s did it, listening to the early acid house and Early Rave tracks coming through and listening to them mixing. That’s when it started at 13, mixing and scratching it up, or trying to!
What DJ’s have influenced you over the years and how have they effected your DJing style
If I had to choose my favourite DJ, that has to be LTJ Bukem all day long, then DJ Hype, Randall, Billy Bunter, Kenny Ken, Doc Scott and Ratty. I think it was their own style of music they played, each had their own select of music types in each set and they stuck to those sounds which is what made them great.I had to create my own style and stick to a sound, one that I loved. So I chose the Bukem way and sound including beautiful tracks from Good Looking, Lucky Spin, Moving shadow, Legend etc. my style was to achieve smooth mixing with a cut off when tracks hit, and as we know it’s hard to smooth mix any Jungle or Hardcore track, takes a lot of Concentration.
When and where was your first gig and what are your memories of this night?
From what I can remember it was an event called RUSH in Basildon around summer 95, Dj Hype was also mixing that night and what a top guy he is, so alive, felt a bit more relaxed after talking to everyone involved, more a family scene environment, all about the music. I remember feeling extremely nervous being I was playing just before Hype, so I knew I had to do as well as I could. The place was packed and the vibe was just pure adrenaline, I spun my first track which was the Original Omni Trio - Feel Good - Original In demand mix, went down a storm as a lot of the other DJ’s played tracks more of the current time, but from there it was just amazing.
Vinyl DJing Vs Digital DJing… What do you prefer and why? And how do they differ?
This is an easy and a hard one for me as I’m oldskool and love the decks to much, it’s gotta be Vinyl. I prefer mixing Vinyl because of the feel, the sense of being in control and the Raw, boxy sound Vinyl just gives off. I think there is a real skill in being able to mix Vinyl, but In saying that there is a real skill in mixing digital these days as you can play digital on vinyl.As mentioned, loving technology myself and that really is my inspiration to starting my musical venture, I’ve never really been one for mixing CD’s or MP3s, and I’m sure there are alot of DJ’s, Producers and Clubs that would say it’s a great thing and more efficient. But there’s nothing like carrying a case of records no matter how heavy into a club or studio and doing what u love. I’m an open world I suppose it doesn’t really matter either way, because your doing what you love and playing the music you love.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
I’m going to answer this in the very best way I can as i feel this is a very delicate subject within the Vinyl loving community. The only reason I feel old classic’s should be remastered and repressed is for the younger generation coming through and living the scene once again, which it is fast and furiously growing. The younger crowed who hadn’t the chance to live the moments we oldies did now have the opportunity to buy old classics, take something that was great and move it forward positively. The other good parts of represses are the classics that we missed back in the day and hadn’t collected.But! There is another side to me (the older me) that says why repress these classics when they essentially are becoming rare, hard to come by and are part of our 90s history. Again I think it’s like most things, a positive and a negative balance of understanding why, should it be and are their values? My views are equal.
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out? discuss your reasoning…
Vinyl has been produced on mass scale ever since 1930’s, and we are seeing massive sales even today! Vinyl as we have seen these past two years has overtaken a lot of other musical formats which is crazy when u think digital was the future back in the early 2000’s. I don’t see Vinyl fizzling out anytime soon that’s for sure.But I think the main question I ask myself is who will be included in that group of future labels to keep the vibe alive and production pumping? we just don’t know? The price of production and everything that goes into each project is just consistent increasing, and this becoming hard for smaller labels like Good2Go to produce the quality and sales that everyone wants.We certainly want to create artistry in each Vinyl release, but that does come at a cost, and costly it is becoming. Bigger commercial labels like Sony and the larger underground names who have stuck it out and done tremendously well, will be the ones who come out ontop, or will they? I think we have to just keep resilient, keep producing quality Vinyl packs and see where it all takes us.
How is the current state of the economy effecting you as a label?
At this present time it is only the increasing cost of production that effects our projects and mostly the industry. We as a label pride ourselves in bringing quality Vinyl packs by great artists and very talented professionals. I’d say that because we do put our all into every release, this shows and appeals to the Vinyl loving crowed.The above mentioned plays a very big part to our sales as brining something that not only can be played, can also be part of our artistry history, and that we run limited releases with no repress, there is a lot of value. So, I suppose where I’m going with this is yes the countries economy is not in the best state and every person is watching their pennies, but the love for records is there and we bring that value and history to each person at the very best cost we can.
What inspired you to start a label and what are your goals and aspirations for Good2Go?
In the 90s we were very young and money was very hard to come by, when your 15-16 years of age all you wanted to do was enjoy the scene around you and try to be part of it as much as you can, so decided to DJ rather than Produce. But since those years I always had an interest in sound journeys, the equipment that creates sound (Synths, modular units etc), also sound engineering.I always kept sample library’s and over time built a small studio space which I had when moving from Southend to London, basically playing with sound, beats, how I could better myself in this area and create a label. Unfortunately all of this fell apart when life took me by the hand and led me in another direction as it does.
But! After meeting with one of my best friends Paul Hudson (Subversiv) around 12 years ago, he reintroduced me to Production. 4-5 years ago I met James Townsend who owns Twotwelve Tens record store, and as you do your buying records and having a chat over labels, production etc etc, and out of the blue just mentions why not start a label? So I did and Good2Go DMR was Born in 2018.
My idea was to set a sound style (1992-1995), a specific brand design that was easy but strong, and I suppose long lasting, so the Thumb was born and the Good2Go DMR logo was created (by art designer Wesley Fur).Our focus was to start slow with 1 - 2 releases every other month and gradually build the brand, then part way through (which was a year later) step the ladder and take more onboard, new artists, better designs and moving onto colour vinyl. We want Good2Go DMR to fit in with bigger more established labels, and we know the work involved would be hard, but now we have the confidence in such a strong support, we can take the label further and produce the very best artist packs we can.
What has been your involvement in production and running labels before you started Good2Go?
My past production areas were always Sound Journey and sound engineering involved (recording the sounds around us and manipulating those to suit). After working with various oldskool dance labels I was consistently learning their techniques, for which my own sounds / samples were being introduced into various tracks. This kept my focus on music very directed, and thus helped me to spread my wings in production mixing.I had no experience in running labels prior to Good2Go DMR, but did have the knowledge in various areas of Graphical design, sound creation and DAW mixing, so took all of these professions forward.
Whats on the horizon for the label, can you tell us about any future projects you are working on.
Well! Not sure I can let to much out of the bag ha ha, but what I can say is that our focus is to bring more top quality Vinyl Packs including Top artists and New up and coming Artists (all round). Our next release is due out on 30th Sept and it’s such a cracking piece of work, featuring Blame with a remix of Music Takes Me Higher (Originally produced by Myself Sync Dynamix), also my new track Won’t You be with Me and Cold Leaders track Vital Elements. We also have planned the LineOUT EP which should be due out in the next 8-10 weeks (Dec 2022 timescale), this featuring Flatliner with his remix of Never Gonna Take It (Original by Myself Sync Dynamix). But I can assure you that what is planned after these is mind blowing, seriously good projects.
How did the link up with Blame come about?
My world is all about Networking, and after working with so many top new up and coming artists, my idea was to start taking the next step. After looking at so many artists and focusing on their styles (which Was really hard but important that the G2G Sound came through in any remix or new production). Blame was just to easy to decide upon due to his flexibility to adapt to most or all styles, and from what I could see he was really putting in the ground work to promote his music.Let’s be honest, Blames production work is superb, he loves what he does and the fact he is such a professional speaks volumes. So Out of the blue I messaged Blame, introduced myself and what projects I have in mind. Ever since that call (which was around a year and half ago) we have met up for lunch pretty much every month, great chats, discussions of past projects we have achieved, new plans going forward, a true pro.
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… Its amazing… whats your thoughts on this and how is it going to effect the future of the scene?
This is an easy one for me, Four names come to mind Tom Lavery, Tim Reaper, Kid Lib and Phineus 11, all of which even when we thought the 90s Jungle and Hardcore scene was left behind, these kept going and believed in the oldskool style, Vinyl and it’s values. Obviously there are more newer producers who are exceptionally good, but these four have really taken the 90s Jungle, hardcore Jungle, Hardcore sound and reproduce their own classics that will last.
I’d say since 2015, the Jungle and Hardcore scene has gradually been coming through slowly but surely, and now we are seeing a explosion of Production, DJ’s, new equipment (including easy adaptable DAW’s) and Events which I think is fantastic. How I feel the future scene will be effected? Let’s keep living the dream in an oldskool way but in a new skool manner, Pushing the boundaries with both production, Dj’ing, also planning those most important events which keep us positive and helping all involved. We lived around 5 years (in the 90s) of what was probably the best generation of music in 30 years, why not try to make it longer and ongoing because we all know what we’ve been missing! The future is bright as long as the support is there all round.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff?
Oldskool 90s productions were created mostly on 8 and 12 bit hardware and software, so in order to emulate that oldskool authentic Jungle / Hardcore sound you realistically have to be using the hardware which included the Atari ST or Amiga computers, obviously the legendary Akai s950 for break sample crunchiness and effects, and lastly the synth / piano hardware including the M1, DX7, DX27, Juno 6, Jupiter and other 80s / early 90s synths that produced those amazing pads, scapes, leads and bass, just something special. Bringing things into the 2022 era, DAW’s like Pro Tools, Ableton Live, FL studio and other software packages, all are massively advanced to what they use to be, more efficient, adaptable, with a selection of plugins included in the packages and online, you would only dream of having such integrated equipment in the 90s.Things are more plug-in / vst related, and tbh they sound just as good! I’ve used both brilliant hardware back in the day and all the top synths in more modern days, there is just so much more to choose and create with which I love and spend so much time on.
Producers In the modern era I would say have a lot easier job to produce a track , only because the DAW’s are easier functional and plugins are available on a mass scale. But, even with the new DAW’s and plugins available, you can tell an authentic hardware based oldskool Jungle track to a more modern Jungle track, but sound engineering to a more modern produced track using modern techniques is definitely cleaner.
Torchman’s Tell Me, I heard this on an edge Tape in 93 and was the first track that gave me goosebumps instantly. As soon as I heard those intro pads and vocals, this really got me into the Jungle vibe and knew I had to have it on vinyl. Since then I literally play it in every set.
Omni Trio - Thru The Vibe, my lord how deep can you go with a track? The whole track takes you away into a jungle dream of piano, strong variations of breaks and drums, and when that middle section just drops, well! I mean to even create such a track is genius, and I heard this at my first Rave at Energy in Southend, straight down to Bassment records and bagged it. Again ever since I have had this track I’m my bag and played at every event.
DJ Crystl - Warpdrive, well what can I say? It’s hard to chose side A or B, but when those breaks hit instantly, WOW! And those deep dark and emotional pads, this is why I wanted to produce, to create tracks like this. Always in the bag!
What record is top of your wants list?
I have all three of them, but if I was to choose a 4th, that would have to be 3rd party’s - Screwface by Brainkillers - Original version on Borderline EP
Tell us a crazy / random / funny story about something that has happened to you whilst out and about DJing
A lot of funny things have happened, but I suppose one moment that comes to mind was DJing at The Cross in Kings Cross back in late 90s. After taking a break for a couple of weeks whilst living in London, I get a call from The cross club management to ask if I could work (DJ) on Saturday night (can’t remember the exact date), and it would be a deep Trance house music night? Well how could I turn it down! I said yes.After arriving with my bag of records I was buzzing, but not knowing who was playing that night! Well that’s when it started to get crazy and funny, I was told as I arrived that I would be playing in place of Another top DJ who was unable to attend, and I’m on before Another top DJ whom I won’t name here, but how crazy is that I’m DJing just before a top top DJ!So naturally I became really nervous, the place was packed and I had a bag of records that had some real bangers. Anyway as the night went on it was my turn, and I kicked of with my set. I think it was probably the best set i ever achieved, got right into it and the crowed was with me.This is when it gets funny, I get tapped on the shoulder by a guy and girl asking for my autograph? I said really! yeah no problem! so I did so and we went on without realising why (as I’m a DJ unknown).Another girl and few guys come over, and then another and another etc etc? I’m thinking what’s going on? My old agent comes over and says hello mate how did the set go? I said yeah really good, but I have to ask why lots of people are asking for my autograph, he laughed and says that’s great because u just played (I won’t mention the world famous DJ’s name but initials S F). Well my head just collapsed, so I signed DJ Lee C on everyone’s request and no one realised i wasn’t S F! My agent laughed because he said that’s not the only thing mate, the top DJ’s name was up on screen whilst you were playing, I never even noticed!
Any final words??
Keep your eyes on Good2Go DMR, there’s alot of fantastic stuff coming!
Also everyone involved and supporting the current scene, keep going and do what you do best for as long as you possibly can.
CHECK OUT THE AMAZING "IN DEPTH PERCEPTION" EP.
And grab one while you can, they are nearly all gone.
It’s going good thanks. Weather is sunny which always helps. Work is busy as usual, everything is bright!
So let's start at the beginning… What is your earliest musical memory?
My brothers used to DJ in pubs and do weddings in the 70’s when I was 7/8 and I remember the music of the 70’s was a good mixture of Soul, Blues, Rock & Pop. Earth Wind & Fire albums / ELO Out of the Blue / T-Rex, The Beatles & The Rolling Stones. So diverse and great. The Jacksons, Rolls Royce, Motown, so many great memories.
What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
The first record I remember buying from Woolworths was Airport by the Motors in 1978 I must have been 7 years old, I also remember buying the tape version of the Beatles Seargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, this is my favourite album along with Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield.
So just to clarify, you are SKEME who was 1 of the 4 members in DSKF (Doctor, Skeme, Kick & Froggy)? Tell us a bit about yourself… and your musical activities prior to DSKF ? Where did you used to spin back then?
Yes. I was known as DJ Skeme at the time and got the 4 of us together. I knew Froggy as he was a friend who provided the sound system with my other friend Paul Plant for a Club Night I promoted on 1991 called Nucleus In Bow East London. I met The Doctor (Not Roger the Doctor) and DJ Kick at my club night and I always wanted to make tunes at the time and had many ideas, so I got us all together and we booked studio time at Suburban Base Studios in Romford.
Prior to DSKF, I had DJ’d Rave parties, Pubs in and around London that had caught onto the Rave Vibe and then I started Nucleus. I was friends with DJ Hype, DJ Krome, DJ Seduction, DJ Randall, Jeff B and Lee Firth AKA DJ Amadeus and I was also friends with Froggy and Paul Plant, who had the best Sound System around. I remember every time it was set up in the Sunny Isles Night Club I used, they had to take the doors off to get the system in!
I knew DJ Hype, through my friend Yann as I used to tag along when he drove Hype around the country when he was playing 3 or 4 places every Friday/Saturday and so Hype was the headliner for Nucleus.
I was a Raver, it all started for me in 88 in Ibiza and then I came back hooked and went to all the major Sunrise, Energy, Back to The Future, Biology and other smaller raves. Amazing times, not sure those vibes will ever be re-lived.
Please tell us a bit about the other members of DSKF ?
Froggy was a really big name on the Soul Scene in London in the 70's 80's & 90's and some say he was the first DJ in the UK to use 2 Technics turntables to mix records together. He even had his own prototype mixer built with a crossfader (when mixers didn't have crossfaders). For more info on DJ Froggy here is a really interesting article: http://soulpranos.co.uk/DJs/soulpranos-djs-f.html
As I mentioned I knew Froggy through his sound system. The Doctor & DJ Kick were 2 lads from Harlow who were regulars at my club night Nucleus. Doctor even played there a couple of times. Unfortunatley Froggy and Doctor are no longer with us and DJ Kick I have not heard from in years.
Austin engineered this EP correct? How did you get linked up with him and how was the experience of working with him?
I knew Austin through Boogie Times Records in Romford, I used to shop in there and knew Austin through his releases and the other artists on the Suburban Base Records he engineered for. Great guy and a top engineer, I don’t think the label would have had half the success it had without Austin behind it. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with someone with his talent. Hopefully, if things go well with the release, we can work on a Remix together?
How does it feel knowing what an underground anthem your record has become?
I remember when we pressed up the EP and I was with DJ Hype and my friend Yann back stage at Astoria when one of the DJ’s dropped it for the first time and seeing everyone there go mental, it sounded amazing on that sound system. It seemed everywhere I heard it, everyone really felt it, when you make a track and when it’s finally finished you have heard it 100’s of times, the buzz wears off slightly, it is not until you see people dancing to it for the first time that it really hits you. I think one night, in various clubs around the country when we were driving Hype I heard it 4 times in one night. It feels amazing the love people have for this track and EP and still have after all this time. Long may it continue and a younger generation love it too.
When did you first start learning to mix records and what inspired you to do so?
My family in the 70’s were DJ’s and I suppose I caught the bug, I remember making mix tapes with a double cassette recorder in the early 80’s mixing electro, early Rap and early House Music. I would cut bits of different tunes together to make one mix. I first got my hand on a pair of decks in a friends record shop in Elephant & Castle in 1987. I helped him in the shop one Saturday and that was it. They were Technics 1200’s. That was it, I couldn’t afford a pair of them so I bought 2 belt drive turn tables with pitch controls and a mixer and started mixing early house music in my bedroom. I finally got my first pair of technics 1210’s in 1989 and have owned a pair ever since.
What DJ’s have influenced you over the years and how has that influenced your DJing style
Froggy was a major influence before I ever met him, when I used to listen to JFM (Pete Tong also played on this station). When I started raving it was Frankie Bones, Paul Trouble Anderson, Fabio, Grooverider & Carl Cox. There are so many depending on the music types I have followed, two that really influenced my style were Sasha & John Digweed. They really set the bar high with Dave Seaman, Parks & Wilson, Danny Rampling & Colin Faver. Two DJ’s that I worked with who really influenced my style were Lee Firth aka DJ Amadeus (sadly, Lee passed last year) and Simon Overall. These guys, I witnessed firs- hand get 10 people up dancing from a room of 15. I think the other 5 were the door staff and bar staff!!! Those guys are true DJ’s, understanding it is all about the crowd.
When and where was your first gig and what are your memories of this night?
My first public gig was a house party some where in Essex, I cant remember whose. It was a bit daunting it was 1989 and I had a bag full of top tunes. It went really well until I finished one of the mixes and lifted the wrong needle! I don’t need to say any more, anyone who has DJ’s using decks knows what that feels like! I recovered it well with starting the tune from scratch having everyone think I did it on purpose !!!
Vinyl DJing Vs Digital DJing… What do you prefer and how do they differ?
Vinyl for me, I used to know my tunes by record cover, that’s why I never got on with CD’s. Loaded Software with a controller is fine and it better on the back, not having to carry heavy record boxes. Vinyl is more of a skill, no beat matching buttons and you know when the breaks in the tune will appear by looking at it.
There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing and why? Discuss….
I think it is a good thing, nothing sounds better than a piece of vinyl. If there is a market for it, then its great news as long as people don’t use those cheap plastic USB turntables to play it on, you will never get the real warmth, that way!
After we did the New Science EP, I always wanted to make more music, never really worried about the money, for me M was for Music. I didn’t really start creating stuff again till about 8 years ago, I did a small music production course in Brixton using Reason Music Software. I produced a 3 track EP under the name NPC Productions and uploaded it to Soundcloud. Tracks names 1.12 / Congo/ Tarantula. This was the start of me making music again.
More recently, with my music partner and engineer Vaughn Jones we have created another EP under the name Zero Effect. We uploaded these tracks to Sound Cloud. Track names Set me free / Take Me Higher/The Voice.
I now use Logic and have loads of material, that we are looking to release.
Who do you see as your early musical influences (from a production point of view) and who continues to inspire you today ?
Rhythm Is Rhythm, Frankie Bones, Frankie Knuckles, Marshall Jefferson, Larry Heard (Mister Fingers), Kevin Saunderson, Masters at Work, Paul Okenfold, Sasha & Digweed. More recently I love Above & Beyond and anything on Anjuna Deep record label.
The sound of the early 90’ hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… Its amazing… whats your thoughts on this and how is it going to effect the future of the scene?
Honestly, it is amazing. Although I haven’t really followed the scene for a long time, I remember when people were saying House Music in it’s many guises would never last and here we are talking about a re-release of my track created over 30 years ago. I am a house head and always will be, all forms. If it gives you pleasure and makes you dance, then DO IT !!
Tell us a crazy / random / funny story about something that has happened to you whilst out and about DJing
My club night Nucleus upstairs room, I am DJing with Jeff B and Amadeus, we are going through our tracks away from the decks, when some guy stands behind them and the mixer and starts pretending to mix. He doesn’t interrupt the music, just stands there and pretends as though he has the whole crowd in his hands. It was amazing to watch and the three of us and the rest of the dance floor just loved it. Great times.
Any final words??
I want to thank you John aka Vinyl Junkie for finding me and giving me the chance to re-release this track, it would not have been possible without you. If you didn’t get a chance to purchase the New Science Ep DSKF the first time round, here is your chance. I know what it is like waiting for so long for that piece of plastic.
I would like to dedicate this re-release of the New Science EP to the memory of my good friend Lee Firth aka DJ Amadeus. He was a massive part of my life in those days so big love to Lee. RIP Bro.
Stay True to your music scene whatever it is.
Nick Curson now DJ Nicky C and Zero FX
Hi Mate. How’s your week going so far?
Hi Mate... Well actually pretty crappy, started the week with toothache & a migraine all at the same time which sucked big time, but that was just a glitch, I'm over it… studio is on and i'm contemplating tackling new projects that are already stacking up 🙂
Contemplate this… What is your earliest musical memory?
Not only my first musical memory, but literally my first waking memory! My parents were serious headz & I had a serious infatuation with Pink Floyd even at age five. My parents being the absolute freaks they were, thought it would be good that I see them live, and they took me to see them at Earls Court - 1977 - In The Flesh Tour; The world premier of the album "Animals". If you know the record, with Battersea power station on the cover and the inflatable pig. Well, during the show, the pig emerged from backstage and literally flew over the auditorium. Scared me shitless & I promptly darted under the seats and hid. My parents (quite possibly on acid) were freaking out trying to find me. Well I guess they must've found me because here I am.
Also… Animals is still my favourite album ever, and it's dark 1984 undertones still resonate very hard today. This album also probably explains my fascination with discordant dark ambient tones. A huge influence.
So… When you were growing up, apart from Pink Floyd, what other music was being played in your house?
My Dad was really into Punk & Ska so a lot of 2-Tone was played in the house as well as Ian Dury, The Damned & also Kraftwerk . My mum was a bit more conventional with her love of The Beatles & Brian Ferry. But my Dad was the Don. He taped John Peel Shows religiously and even made me aware that he played imported U.S Hip-Hop… and once i realised this… I was also hooked… to the point where it probably ruined the last 3 years of my school life. I was getting a different schooling 🙂
Yeah, I was pretty much raised on a diet of Punk Rock & Ska… The first record I ever bought was Sex Pistols “Never Mind The Bollocks” aged about 10… What was the first record you ever bought and how old were you?
Five years old. Blondie - Heart Of Glass… bought with 1 & 2ps i saved and I still remember emptying it on the record store counter and it going everywhere . Also, I think that's the only Blondie 4/4 disco tune… obsessed with 4/4 almost directly🙂 ❤️
Before you started DJing… Were you going out raving much those days? What party stands out the most in your mind and why?
I was literally a bedroom Dj from 1987, no club or rave experience at all, so when I got to college in 89 & got my 1st Technics start of 1990, I was already ready. Then Acid House really broke and I was one of the only Djs around where I was… so I just had to understand House Music and I was away!
So if Acid House never broke and there was no rave scene… where would you be now??
It's hard to say. I started out DESPERATELY wanting to be a Hip Hop Dj (before there was a rave scene), solo or with an MC… whatever! I was just gonna do it whatever, that's WHAT i was gonna do, so when Acid House broke & i realised it was fuelled by DJ's. It wasn't even a conversation, i was GOING to do it. That was it!!
The early 90’s was a magical time for the music and the scene in general. How do things differ now from back then?
We got old and grumpy mate 😆 🤣
Nothing stays the same, it just shape shifts. The rave never really went away did it? it just fragmented and spread out globally & got its business life sorted (which i actually quite like, not like the wild west of the 90’s lol )
When did you first start learning to mix records and what inspired you to do so?
Electro, Hip Hop, Being an awful breakdancer & realising i loved the music more than the dancing. I was totally OBSESSED with scratching… I just wanted to make "that sound", and the more records I had, the more different noises I could make. This also spawned the start of my record collecting obsession ❤️
When and where was your first gig and what are your memories of this night?
Something me & my mentor Mr D (Dave Pardue)... Who was responsible for taking me to my first legal rave; Energy at Docklands Arena April 1990. We were doing gigs at the Glastonbury Assembly rooms from mid 1989 so it would have been those for sure. That's where I learnt to use Technics in front of people. 🙂
Wow I was at that Energy Rave at Docklands. All I really remember is standing in the queue to get in. Must’ve been a good night! LOL… I was also at Universe for your legendary B2B set with Tanith in 1992… A lot of people see that as their earliest memory of the DJ Producer. What are your thoughts reflecting back on this now?
I consider 22nd September 1992… That night of Mind Body & Soul… that was the night "The DJ Producer '' was born. That's the night I did something so different to everyone it was bound to cause a fuss. UK really hadn't been exposed to European Techno in such a completely rounded way before this night, and in all fairness, i really played like that...
I was playing Breakbeat Hardcore from literally day dot. But my new found Techno Funk blew up in my face THAT HARD. The day after my phone was off the hook with requests for "Producer to play Techno". Reluctant Techno warrior??? Maybe. But that choice made me realise I had something different… and more importantly… no one hated it (yet) 😀 😆
Vinyl DJing Vs Digital DJing… What do you prefer and how do they differ?
For me, sorry not sorry, Technics SL1210 MK 2’s BEAT EVERYTHING!! Even CDJs are inaccurate and I refuse to use sync. The problem is; DIGITAL IS ZEROS & ONES!! With analogue it is continuous. Any digital pitch is stepped - stepping from digit to digit, so never accurate and always pushing forward & pulling back. I mix BETWEEN the zeroes & ones. Analog is just a continuous sweep meaning accuracy of at least 0.000000000000000001%. And when I mix I've NEVER touched the platter IN MY LIFE - PITCH does it all, if it's not stepped..
So for you it's all about the vinyl? There has been a massive resurgence in vinyl sales lately with loads of old classics being remastered and repressed. Is this a good thing?
IT'S OBVIOUSLY THE BEST THING EVER. Let's be honest, most of what's been remastered recently sounds totally AMAZING. When these guys made these records 30 years ago, skills were borderline zero & virtually NO ONE knew anything about mastering. With 2022 technology, remastering softwares & meticulous manipulations, a lot of what has been redone has been so worth it.
Have you been buying many of them yourself and which ones did you start dribbling about the most?
Yeah i got all the Ram's, Your recent redo of Men From Del Bosca was amazing and i know you got more coming, The Deep Jungle rereleases are amazing and Chris Kniteforce has been doing loads of bits too! What a time to be alive 😊
What record would you most like to see get the Repress treatment??
2Xtreme - Xtremities EP needs a PROPER repress, I also think Hellfish should repress the 1st 30 Bogwoppas. But I've been asking for 10 years now so I'm not holding my breath 😀 🤣
Do you think the vinyl thing will grow or fizzle out?
Again, Hard to say. Me & you together have literally watched its rise - fall - and rise again. So who knows? I think with the internet now, it has pooled all those collectors who are after certain things to be guided to certain places. Those that collect - collect, and those that know - errr - know? 😉
Who do you see as your early musical influences and who continues to inspire you today (apart from me obviously lol)?
Straight up influences: Lenny Dee - Obsessed with his New Groove stuff - Then i discovered Hardcore Techno - Then literally the next Universe gig; Big Love… I watch Lenny play the 1st SERIOUS set of REAL Hardcore Techno in the UK, and i said to myself: "Im doing it wrong… Need to go deeper"! So I did! To then get released a few years later on Industrial Strength with my man Manu Le Malin… I honestly felt "Inaugurated into the house of Hardcore".
Yes i bet that felt amazing to get a release on Industrial Strength. But what was the first record you released and can you tell us how this came about and what you remember about those early studio sessions?
The sound of the early 90’s hardcore and jungle has come full circle with lots of young people, who were not even born first time round, adopting this sound, buying records and even producing music in this style… It's amazing and very humbling… What's your thoughts on this and how is it going to affect the future of the scene?
I think It's fully awesome. I know its been said before, But Breakbeat Hardcore as a genre had a 2 year window of existance before it got real darkside moody, then shunned that for jazzy influences and the forming of drum and bass. But you know me man, im about all the Hardcore's and to see this shit get a resurgance with fresh interpretations is just awesome. There is much to be explored using new technology but keeping it oldskool raw… it's very possible.
How does the newly produced hardcore / jungle compare to the original stuff?
It's all inna sound innit?? New technology can do miraculous things & applied correctly can def push things forward. I do like 64bit higher definition productions of the 2020 era. It can be ruff and tight at the same time, right??
You are obviously really busy producing your upfront “Ultra-Violent” hardcore, but you have actually started producing 92/93 style Hardcore music as well. Your first taste of production was in 1994 by which time that 92/93 sound had already evolved. How does it feel to be able to go back to that sound from a production point of view? And from a personal point of view?
All the things i mentioned above, but i do say this: I came from that era of Hardcore, but never got the chance to produce it, and once i understood studio stuff i did kind of regret missing that era, to a degree. Just something I would have liked to do in a legitimate sense . LOL. And here we are… just wait for that 30 year cycle and im jumping right THE FUCK IN ❤️ ❤️
Feels fresh to me as I never got to do it, so aside from my ultraviolence… Here's something different to play with in the studio!
Do you have any vinyl releases lined up? If so, tell us about them.
I got shit stacked up but I'm not mentioning anything. No Spoilers. I fucking hate previews. Just wait!
I know you own a shit-load of records. How do you keep them in order and how long would it take you to find a specific record??
Chronological. Separated between US. UK & Euro. It's my own system but I can pretty much find anything out of 8-9k tunes in about 5 mins flat. BADBOY.
What are your 5 most treasured records?
What records are top of your wants list?
OLDSCHOOL BREAKBEAT HARDCORE INNA 1992 - 1993 STYLE & FASHION... Probably 😀😀😀
Any final words?
Mate… You've fucking rinsed me here! 🤣 What do you want??? Blood???? 😆 shout to all the crate diggers worldwide. Record collecting is not a mental illness, and can be carefully managed if you know what you are doing 😂 BRING ON THE REPRESEES!!!
Big love.. keep digging... Lukus 😊
So there you have it... DON'T FORGET. You can catch The DJ Producer doing an exclusive vinyl LIVE-STREAM for us on Wednesday 23rd March alongside Nicky Blackmarket and myself. We will be broadcasting from Headroom Studios in Bristol
Hows it going dude... Shall we start at the beginning? What is your earliest musical memory?
I'm good VJ... I think aged 3 or 4 my Gran used to babysit me and would play the piano, I remember climbing up onto the piano stool and sitting next to her, watching her hands roll across the keyboard. I would attempt to jam and add some extra bass notes.. They were clangers !
When you were growing up, what music was being played in your house?
Other than the music on the telly and radio, Cat Stevens, Melanie, Stevie Wonder. I took over as household DJ in 1980 playing Madness and The Specials
As well as producing dance music, you also play some musical instruments? Which instruments do you play and when did you first start dabbling with music?
I was brought up in a house with a piano. I don’t remember where I learnt it from but I started playing simple boogie woogie 12 bar stuff aged 7 or 8. I Picked up the guitar as a teenager and did bands and gigs while at school. You can blame Alan Suger for my recording career... one day an ad for the Amstrad Studio 100 appeared on the telly, it was a four track studio and record player combined that came with headphones, a tape of drum beats and four microphones. Myself and friends started recording as a ska band, badly named The Janitors. It happened to include Kevin Beber (D-Zone/Toxic) on drum machine. Surprisingly I was offered a record deal off the back of the tapes, but couldn’t commit to a touring schedule while I was busy failing my A levels. These were my first dabbling’s.
What inspired you to start producing dance music?
1989 ! After failing my A levels, I failed a diploma in Advanced Music Production and Digital Audio that was run in the Bon Marche building in Brixton. But I learnt the arts of the Akai, the Atari and the mixing desk and started describing myself as a sound engineer, not sure if I actually was.
Who do you see as your major influences in music and why?
Jerry Dammers - King Tubby - Motown - Studio 1 - Nick Drake - Ginger Baker. From the rave scene.. ‘The Scientist’ (The original keyboard wiz in the studio at Kicking Records, he also engineered SB001) The Rebel MC. Longsy D. Shut up and Dance. Rob Playford and The Meat Beat Manifesto. No explanations required.
I was never signed to Suburban Base. I heard that two friends from school Dave and Reesh had a record out, and that their track ‘This is the B Side’ was doing well at the wrong speed! It was a slow track pressed at 33rpm and played out at 45rpm. I asked them about it and they directed me to Boogie Times record shop in Romford where they would listen to your tape. I went in with an early version of Shot like Dis and soon found myself accepting the position of in-house engineer for the as yet unrealised SB Records. Early releases Shot Like Dis, Please Don’t Stand In My Way and I Get High were recorded in my bedroom at my family home. One session was attended by SB founder Dan Donnelly, myself, both of M&M and my mum on the hoover. My equipment was then moved into Dan’s Mum’s garage where I began recording with DJs and other musicians for the label at what is known as Sub Base Studio’s. Some aspects of it were amazing, especially getting to work with the likes of DJ Hype, Mickey Finn and Krome and Time. On my first session with Krome & Time ‘Fireball’ they told me they had sampled a choir sound off I Get High, so my imposter syndrome wore off very quickly.
Phuture Assassins has had a few different line-ups since it first started in 1990 with “I like Techno” which is not credited to you but a guy called Dave Jay. What happened here? Were you involved with that release? And could you please tell us about how the line-up evolved over the years?
Reesh and Dave Jay (formally Dave B) Were the original Assassins. They recorded the ‘I Like Techno’ EP for Boogie Times Records in 1990 which included ‘This Is The B Side’ and was engineered by Aston Harvey (Blapps Posse/ Freestylers). They also recorded a 2nd EP with Aston called ’Time Unlimited’ which was never put out by Boogie Times. Sometime later when SB were looking for an artist name for the Shot Like Dis release, Phuture Assassins was suggested and nobody voiced any objections. Dave Jay and I were in the same group of friends from school and he would often just turn up for studio sessions. Dave plays keys on the original version of Rydim Come Forward and also recorded with me at SB studio’s for SB offshoot label Fruit Tree under the name Dave Jay Project. While I’m here, he also recorded the Wet Nose mix of E17 House of Love with me and was vocalist and co member of my band Soul Hooligan in the late 1990’s. Shot like Dis the second Phuture Assassins release was just me. The original version of Future Sound was just me assisted by Danny Breaks who dropped a second sliding break into the mix. Krome and Time came on board afterwards and co-produced Freedom Sound and a remix of Rydim Come Forward for that EP. Roots n Future was a collab between myself and Krome and Time and was recorded in another bedroom in Brentwood known as Chase Rd Studio’s in 1993 and within a week or two of The Slammer sessions which produced the last full release I did for SB. The last PA recording for SB Roots n Future (Refections in Dub) was just me. All Following Phuture Assassins releases are just me. Firstly in the mid 00’s Unbreak My Hardcore, Alone, Ganja Madness and Forever for Warehouse Wax Records and myself again in 2021 for Knight Force Recordings. That’s fairly comprehensive. I hope it’s cleared up any confusion.
Your first release as Phuture Assassins on Suburban Base was Shot Like Dis (Subbase 003). Then Subbase 004 saw you release the massive anthem “I Get High” under your own name, Austin. Why did you find it necessary to have an alias so early in your career?
I didn’t. The Alias’ were the work of SB, they chose the artist name for each release. It could have been a Phuture Assassins record but it was put out as Austin. I think the general idea was to keep public focus on the label as a whole rather than any specific artist and also to appear to have more artists on the label than actually existed in the early days, that’s all good by me. Same thing happened with Kromozone, Timebase and Krome and Time. All the same act, three different names.
Blame had to remove the Seal vocal from the track “Music Takes You” for copyright reasons but you sampled Seal on “I get High” around the same time and totally got away with it. How did you pull that off?
SB attempted to clear the sample and went to ZTT but only got as far as the receptionist. I believe they were told it would be ok as long as the record wasn’t a hit. The record label worked together with the distributors to stagger the sales. I Get High went in and out of the bottom end of the top 75 maybe three or four times during the autumn of 91 without touching the top 40 - That’s how ya do it !
I always really liked the Austin EP… that never saw a full release. Why was this?
Still a mystery.
The early years of Suburban Base saw you engineering / producing (and probably co-writing) a big chunk of the music that was released. How was that…?? Please tell us the highs and lows of working with Suburban Base in those times.
Umm.. This is a big ol’ interview VJ. I fear the answer is too long. I’ll pass for now..
Am I correct in saying that you engineered the massive “Far Out” anthem by Sonz of a loop da loop era? Rumour even has it that it was you that played that iconic piano riff. Is this true and what are your memories associated with this tune??
Danny Breaks was one of the talents to come from behind the counter at Boogie Times. - and created a whirl wind in the studio over the two day session. In my opinion Break’s Dropping Science label was responsible for some of the best early DnB. The tracks of his that were recorded with me at SB studios were the product of his own musical imaginations, After putting together some unusually healthy beats and scratching Mr Breaks suggested a piano riff akin to’ Your Love’ and offered me the keyboard. I took a chord structure that I used to play on the guitar and put it to the rhythm of the Prodigy piano anthem. As the mix went down to DAT I remember being quite amazed at how good it all sounded, almost having to pinch myself. For a week or so I think Far Out was the best sounding hardcore record out there. Its success was down to everyone.. Danny Breaks, the record label, the DJ’s and the ravers. I’m grateful to have played a part in it.
To be honest there were so many talented people in the rave scene in those days and so much we copied off them or owe to them. It’s easy to say ‘Yeh I did the first this or that, but it’s a bit narcissistic. No one really invented anything. It was all the people, clubs, records labels and technology, it was collaborative.
Were you going out raving much in them days? What party stands out the most in your mind and why?
err..It all started in a field. Raindance Jenkins Lane 1991. I made I Get High the day after. Then there was Crazy Club at the Astoria every weekend. Then 12 Dalston Lane sometimes twice a week.. You're on the stairs to nowhere, it’s 3am, you inform your friend that you still have £7.50 and half a bottle of water..
You also did quite a few Live PAs in the Sub Base days right. How was that? Which one stands out most and why???
Sonz PA’s were hilarious, having Far Out in your arsenal made life very easy. The piano and the scratching was pretty much live on the record, so Breaks would scratch the intro, I would bash out the chords on the piano and the whole place would literally go mental. MC Special A would hype the crowd and demand a hands in the air count.. then the shout would go out.. who wants some more bass in their face!? One PA that stands out was my first one, an appearance as Phuture Assassins at the Eclipse in Coventry. I remember the unforgettable and overpowering smell of Vicks Vapour Rub, topless dudes on platforms covered in the stuff, smoke and lasers. Taking half a pill for the first time and coming up on stage while miming the keyboards.
You also produced loads of Happy Hardcore in the years that followed. What’re your reflections on this now?
I made a Trip Hop album in the mid 90’s as Fear of an Infinite Loop, that never saw a release and I got stuck in the recording contract for 5 years. I couldn’t really do any music of my own so I supplemented my income by saying yes to everyone who wanted a day in the studio. When the mood hits I love a bit of happy, some of my favourite productions are happy. JDS Higher Love. Billy Bunter’s Bang the Future. DJ NRG Hardcore Fever and Vinyl Junkie’s Tearing My Love Apart. Love these tracks. I’m very proud to have worked with all those people.
So fast forward 25 years and we are now in 2021… The last couple of years been tough with all the lockdowns and that. How has this impacted you musically?
Lock down’s are perfect for a part time recluse. Just before the C19 I moved out of London. It’s an attempt to drop out economically with the intension of playing Sitar and never watching YouTube again. - It’s only been partially successful.
As this interview is for Vinyl Junkie UK I am going to ask a vinyl related question! Do you collect vinyl yourself? I did hear through the grapevine that you are partial to a bit of Ska… Particularly Two-Tone records?? Tell us about that!
For the first time in 20 years the record collection is growing again. Back in the 20th century you would go to all the shops and every record fair but you’d never find that one mythical record you were after. Today you just type it in and it’s there... it’s a game changer ! Judging from the question, I guess you already know about the complete set of 2-tone singles I call ‘my precious’
What is your most treasured piece of vinyl? And what record is top of your wants list?
Records are like tracks, the latest one is always the best. I’m currently treasuring Bond and Brown Two Heads Are Better Than One, The Imperials ‘Days Like These’ 7 and the Abyssinians Declaration of Rights. 7 I’ve spent too much money on vinyl recently so the want list has been scrapped or depleted more like.
Over the years, you have produced many different genres of music from Happy Hardcore to Trance-Core. Drum & Bass to Breaks and even a bit of Trip Hop as well many others… But now everything has come full circle and you are back writing 92 style hardcore again. How did that happen??
I’ve made music professionally most of my adult life. So a part of me has to be a mercenary. If you offer me enough to make Bagpipe House with you tomorrow.. I’m there. When it comes to electronic music genre’s Old School is my first love.
You have recently released an EP on Knite Force called Babylon Newspaper. How did that come about and how did it feel to be producing this style of music again?
I was once forced to engineer a track called Sesame’s Treet by Smart E’s, 30 years later one of them called me up and forced me to give him a new Phuture Assassins EP so gave it him. It’s like riding a bike, although the screen on my S3000 is well faded and my eyesight is not what it used to be.
What else is in the pipelines for you production wise. Any cool projects forthcoming? Any more vinyl releases?
I Recently did a Phuture Assassins remix of Jonny L Hurt You So, that I’m really pleased with. More Phuture Assassins soon..
Top 3 underground bangers from the 90’s? (No anthems allowed)
Not sure if these are rare enough for you but Midi Rain ‘Eyes’ Bizarre Inc Mix, still gives me tingles, The Rebel MC ‘I Can’t Get No Sleep’ (the 2nd verse!) and another original vocal track- Bug Khan and the Plastic Jam’s Beware The Bassline
Any final words??
Amen Brother
Thank you Austin, for granting Vinyl Junkie UK your first EVER interview. Blessed x
As well as the Babylon Newspaper EP, be sure to check this one out as well...
PHUTURE ASSASSINS - BACK TO THE PHUTURE EP - OUT NOW
The Future Sound Remixes.
Hi Mate. How are you and what have you been up to today?
I am keeping safe so far, I have been delivering hot meals to senior citizens around the Doncaster area for a couple months now. This job has been keeping me focused and active during the pandemic. I have also been recording bits in the studio, shout outs and dubplates. I also worked on my first Jungle album which was released on Liondub International called 'Hot Like Fire'. There are going to be three chapters to the album. The first chapter came out in October 2020. There is a 4 track vinyl sampler of chapter one which is available right here at VinylJunkie.uk... and features the following 4 tracks.
Who do you see as your major influences in music?
My major influences are a lot of late 80's and 90's Dancehall artists. I was influenced by artists like Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Capleton, Ninja man, Cutty Ranks to name a few.
If you had to give up one thing: live gigs or production… Which would it be and why?
This is a tough question, as it feels great to perform in front of a crowd again. But I always like to keep motivated and work on new projects in the studio. I think they both go hand in hand.
As this interview is for Vinyljunkie.uk, I am going to ask… are you a vinyl collector? If so, how long have you been collecting and how many have you got??
I have got around 50 vinyls ranging from 80's house, Digital, Dancehall, Reggae and Jungle. I also have a collection of most of my vinyl releases including some test presses.
So what's in the pipeline for you production-wise. Any forthcoming cool projects?
There are few things in the pipeline, we are currently working on getting the masters for Hot like Fire chapter 2 which should be out soon. Also, there will be a Chapter 3 to follow in the future. This is a very big project, respect going out to Liondub and all the producers/artists involved. Hopefully, 4 track vinyl cuts will follow for each chapter.
You were quite young in the early '90s when the original jungle scene was kicking off. Were you into it back then?
In the 90's I started listening to Jungle Techno and then Jungle, my first MCing opportunity was with Mikey Rider at some of the Jungle Jail House jams at Dizstruxshon and around the Yorkshire area. I also went on SCR Radio a few times back in the day with Eazy D and Mental Power which was a great experience. Locally I used to go to my friend DJ Sweet every Saturday daytime to MC and record Jungle sets on cassette tapes which we did for fun. I remember in the room were two big Jamo Speakers blasting out Jungle while he was Djing.
You obviously know that there has been a massive surge in vinyl releases and sales over the last 18 months with a lot of the music sounding like 90's hardcore and jungle. What's your thoughts on this??
I am liking the relick of the 90's Jungle, it's great to take it back to the Roots as a lot of younger producers wouldn't have been around to witness it when it first dropped.
Top 3 tunes from the '90s?
My Favourite 3 tunes of the '90s would have to be: