BunZer0, veteran of the dubstep scene and longtime overseas ambassador, has been a tireless promoter of all things quality and bass-driven for some time now; the Belgian native has graced stages across the globe, released tunes via the likes of Orientis and L2S, was the man to first book many of the UKs dubstep pioneers for their first gigs in Belgium, held down a moderator's role on dubstepforum, and hosts one of the Sub.FM's most popular slots in the form of the FOB show.
This latest studio mix from the man is packed full of dubs and forthcomings, and put together in the characteristically flawless style that has gained BunZer0 such acclaim.
One of the hardest working producers around, Legend4ry is known not only as a talented beatsmith but also as a tireless promoter of all that's positive in music. Striking a balance between a fierce sense of independence and a dedication to pushing good music to new ears his is an interesting take on what might loosely be called 'the music industry', and this is continuously reflected in his own tunes as he refuses to be boxed in by genre specifications and other industry terminology. The result is music filled with a striking sense of originality and a feel that is instantly recognisable as 'Legend4ry'. We caught up with him to talk about his approach to making beats, among other things, and got him to contribute the latest mix to our series.
Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where are you from and how would you describe your sound?
Legend4ry: I'm Chris Gallienne and I make music under the moniker of Legend4ry (as well as Lienne and JustAnotherAlias). I'm from Woolwich which is in the borough of Greenwich in South East London.
I would describe my sound as bass music with an emphasis on pads and percussion.
H: When did you start making beats? Had you made music in any other forms beforehand?
L: I started making music at around 14 or 15. I distintively remember having a copy of Ejay from a PC magazines demo CD which only had about 20 loops in it when I was around 10/11 which I used to drive everyone in my family bonkers with hearing the same stuff just moved around a little bit each time. Someone uninstalled it from the PC and took a key to the disc to deem it unuseable (harsh, I know! Still don't know who did it (laughs)). Other than that I had toyed with things like Music/Music2000 on the Playstation but didn't really 'get it' . I have always liked the idea of making music but never really pursued it until I was around people who felt the same way.
H: You've got huge variation in your productions, ranging from straight-up dubstep, to hip-hop to beats hanging around the 130bpm bracket: Is this something intentional, aimed perhaps at keeping your production fresh, or does it just happen for you? How do you balance all of it?
L: I start making music by finding a break, a sample or even a sound and find something which 'hits' me in a certain way (which is hard to explain) and sometimes I'll think "I need to go a bit hip hop with this" or "this would go well in a house tune" and then work from there.
95% of the time I will have the intention of making a dubstep track and if it starts to shape into something else then I will let it. I don't think its healthy to force a tune into being something it isn't. Even if I have never made that genre before I will always stick with an idea if it's solid. I am not afraid to make other genres, I think a lot of people give off that impression with their music, each tune just sounds like a re-hash of their last tune with a few set of drums: that doesn't interest me at all! I want to take music as far as I can as a person not genres.
This is what 'JustAnotherAlias' is all about, when I make music which isn't totally a "Legend4ry" track I put it into the JustAnotherAlias name so as not to stear one name in too many directions. I don't really push this alias as much as I should, with only one commerical release under that name and a recent self-released free EP called 'An Introduction'; a mix of house, dubstep, hiphop and triphop. On the whole, JustAnotherAlias is more of a personal project for now.
H: You also host your own radio show, Wednesd4ry: what was the original thinking behind the project? Have you any plans to expand it?
L: Wednesd4ry is primarily a vinyl-only radio show (with the addition of a CDJ if a guest brings it themself) broadcasted with video which is thrown every Wedneday with my best mates T4X and Chris Melo.
It started from me and T4X wanting to get on radio and we played on pirate station WaxFM after doing a one-off internet show and really enjoying it. We stopped broadcasting on Wax as it was cheaper to buy our own webhosting and stream it ourselfs pushing dubstep and we also do the odd hip hop set.
We recently revamped our website and hit our 50th show a few months ago which was a really big thing for us! We had a huge party with ballons to celebrate and got some of our past guest as well as other DJs to come down and play (the line up was Myself, T4X, Melo, Triggy, One-R and Focus).
Carrying on from that we now have a pretty solid regular fan base and will continue to be independent from any other radio show, having a one-off broadcast every Wednesday. We don't have to compete with DJs who played before us nor have any constrainsts on how long we can play or be told how to act when on air. I think this helps us do the best show we can, play what we feel like and just have a radio show which is a fun and interesting listen. I think a lot of radio shows these days are all about dubplates and are very formal, and that's not our cup of tea.
H: Some may also know you as one of the moderators of the Production forum on dubstepforum.com, how did you get involved with the guys who run the site and what were your motivations behind taking up the post?
L: I have always frequented dubstepforum, it has been one of my main sources of browsing on the internet for around 5 years now. When I got more into making music and wanting to better my music I pretty much 'lived' in the production area.
At around '09ish the production forum wasn't really moderated by any of the current mods and it was a death trap for anyone wanting to ask questions which have been asked before due to unhelpful members and no moderation. As a forum we nominated Shamanji to moderate the board, after a few months he went on tour with his partner (who together make up Sub Swara) and asked Dubway to add me as a mod temporarily while he was on tour. Long story short, Mr Shamanji is a busy man and had to step down as a mod so I became the dedicated moderator for the production forum. Now its run by myself, Pete Bubonic (aka forsaken/runs the Soul Motive label) and Wub, who is famously the funniest person on the forum (and probably the whole of the internet in my opinion).
Together we try and make it a place where you can get the help you deserve and we constantly add to the huge database of knowledge we call the 'Production Bible' which is a great resource for anyone wanting to get into making music.. It covers everything from making sounds to layering drums, mixing down and where to find the best and cheapest mastering all the way through to being an artist in this day and age. I think this is my motivation for moderating the board, I like the fact that I can hand pick discussions and add them to the Production Bible which helps people stick at making music; that is something I struggled with for a few years before I found my feet. Obviously I like the fact there's less spam and derailing of topics as it makes it a pleasant place to browse and to be part of it makes me happy in some way!
H: Tell us a bit about how you went about putting together your mix for us.
L: Honestly, I thought about a mix to show to off my DJing skills but then I thought that's a bit of boring: people can listen to my weekly show, or come see me out to hear how my DJing is. For this mix I picked tracks I am really feeling at the moment to create a interesting listening experience as opposed to something that needs all your attention. It goes from a mellow start to house pitched up to 140 and then to loads of my own tunes with the odd track by someone else. I took a really mellow approach with this mix, so pop it on when you're sitting on the train or having a nice lazy day; that's where it sounds best!
H: Finally, are there any forthcomings or anything in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out on?
L: I'm playing the Audio Doughnuts first birthday on the 25th of this month. Don't forget to lock into my weekly radio show every Wednesday 8-10ish (pm) GMT at www.Wednesd4ry.com. My 'New Directions' EP recently got re-signed to Dubstrict Records after a bit of a ca-fuffle over which label is going to sign it, so that's good!
Shout outs to: Crises, Majora (aka Bandicoot), T4X & Melo, Sashwat (of Dank N Dirty Dubz), Dubstrict Records family and anyone else who pushes and enjoys my music!
Not forgetting thanks to Hedmuk for asking me to do one of these: I've been wanting to for ages!
With this EP following up from his huge 'Joke / Thinner' release on Skybrid Audio and the critically acclaimed Martyr EP, released earlier this year on Thelem's Orientis imprint, Coleco continues to carve a unique path through the arguably muddled world of bass music: combining genuine musicality with dubstep and breakbeat sensibilities, his productions carry a very particular, and instantly recognisable, edge and energy.
'President Tune' is driven by snappy breaks and a fainting synth while the bassline is plucked out beneath. With a slightly dark edge, the tune progresses through almost cinematic peaks and troughs before falling apart into echoes at its close.
Since featuring Thelem back in March, the up-and-coming producer has remained a firm favourite of ours and is certainly someone whose tight-as-you-like production is being pinned by us as one to watch.
As seems to be the done thing at the moment, Thelem has chosen to celebrate his gaining 500 followers on Facebook by giving away a tune to his supporters. 'Machine City' carries the usual weight that is to be expected from the man's productions and pairs it with some menacing midrange rolling in over the top to produce a dark atmosphere around the tune.
With the recent reinvigoration of the half-step leaning deep dubstep sound, it seems that 'Angles' and the Orientis imprint which brings it forward will serve as an important defining point in the progression of the genre. At eleven tracks, the statement is of quality over quantity and this quality is ensured by label-head Thelem's intense attention to detail: there is no filler here. The whole collection is defined by an acute sense of control and restraint, and it is the addition of this element which is so vital to the overall success of the release as both a project and a statement from the artists and label involved.
Beginning with Thelem's own 'Illusions', the album takes a rolling start over tight kicks and a hypnotic panning synth before moving into the haunting territory of Killa & Instinct's 'Halftime' with its bulging bassline. Subreachers' 'Left Hand Path' adds a subtle skip to the beat with a scatter of high-hats over a growling bassline, which is extended by BunZer0's techy offering in the form of 'Recovering' and 'Krymia', the first of two tunes from Crisp, which trails a floating synth over neatly tumbling percussion.
It is at this point that Antics' 'Unconscious' drops in with a stripped-back beat and pulsing sub and settles the pace once more. This careful ordering of the tracks serves as another reminder of the attention given to the details as 'Apocrypha', a collaboration between Instinct & Thelem, gently draws the listener from their halftime sway. Collision uses tribal drums and an eery sample on 'Another Planet' to build in progression over a warping bassline and lead into Crisp's heavy roller, 'Surge'.
The penultimate track on the compilation, Pressa's 'Orbs', lets a tightly controlled bass melody flow under rounded synth stabs before Legend4ry's 'That Kid's Got Spirit' rounds of the collection with a twisting bassline, reverb-laced synths and something of a telling sentiment in its title.
To add to this, we've linked up with the Orientis family to exclusively offer something a little extra. First up is a free bonus track for the compilation from Pressa: 'Concussed' is a stuttering roller with plenty of swing in its drums and licks of his characteristically delicate, minimal synths. Also included is an exclusive mix of the tracks featured on the compilation which has been put together by Killa & Instinct and showcases the tunes featured, by a simple re-ordering and a series of subtle blends, in a different light.
Our latest feature comes courtesy of Belgian production duo Subreachers. With a style that touches on a wide-range of sounds within bass music, their beats are hardly confined by any notion of genre specific sounds. Unafraid to build lush, atmospheric layers, uncompromising in their emphasis on heavy-sub and above all dedicated to making music with feeling, be it deep, dark or ambient, their production output is one of real depth, variety and originality. With a slew of releases lined up for the coming year, including a 12" on the forward-looking bass label Orientis records, we caught up with Subreachers to discuss future plans, their sound and the Belgian bass scene.
HEDMUK: To introduce yourself to those who don't know yet, what are your names, where are you from and how would you describe the music you make?
Tim Subreachers: Hi my name’s Tim , I’m from Willebroek, near Antwerp , Belgium.
Matthias Subreachers: Hi my name’s Matthias, I’m from Londerzeel, near Antwerp, Belgium. The music we make is hard to describe because it’s so broad, it goes from autonomic style D&B to dark low end dubstep or even experimental ambient soundscapes. For us a name, tempo or genre doesn't really matter. We just make whatever comes up in our minds not really taking notice of any particular genre or sound.
T: Of course we have a lot of influences but we try not to focus too much on what other people are doing and try to do our own thing.
H: Did you produce individually before joining to form Subreachers? How did you get in to making beats together?
M:We where both total novices when we started Subreachers, so no.
T:We actually started fooling around in Ableton just out of boredom in between some home DJ sessions. Matthias and me knew each other from back in high school, after we changed schools we both went a different way and it wasn’t until a few years later we met up for some drinks. We started talking and found out we were loving the same music; after some home sessions we decided we were going to start doing Subreachers.
M:At that time we didn’t have a name or were playing any gigs. When we started making beats together one of them got airplay on national radio in the now cancelled show Baselab. We didn’t have a name for ourselves so it was due to that event we had to come up with something really quick.
T:Come to think of it before I got into dubstep, I was making weird disco/house edits. I own a lot of old records and I used to have hours of fun cutting those up and making edits with a tape deck.
M:Eventually when we got serious about making beats it picked up for us. Our first release on Medschool will be out next week and our debut 12" should hit shelfs sometime soon.
H: What are the advantages, in your opinion, to working as a production duo?
T:For us it’s the amount of work you can get done faster.
M: We make tracks together but we also produce tracks on our own, that way we can put out a large amount of tunesconstantly. When one of us isn’t as productive for a while, the other one will kind off fill in that void.
H: There’s a real diversity to your production, does this reflect a wide range of influences?
T & M: We certainly have alot of influences.
T:House/techno certainly for me is a big part of that influence. Especially Chicago and Detroit are two of my main influences. The amount of soul put in those records is sometimes jaw-dropping.
M: But it’s not the only influence. Jazz, ambient, drum & bass and so much more also has a strong influence on us.
T:We listen to a lot of music and pick up anything that strikes our ear. If a day had 48 Hours we would probably spend 46 hours of that day just listening to beats.
H:Given the range in your production what, do you think, is the defining characteristic of your tunes?
T: Atmosphere, we always work hard on creating an atmosphere.
M: Be it a dark or soulful one, that changes in every tune. But tunes that don’t do something to people (even if it annoys them) don’t serve a purpose. For us tunes need to create a certain feeling when you hear them.
H: Are there any tunes in your production repertoire that particularly stick out for you? Why is this?
M: We’re still learning every day so we can’t really agree on what is the best one is, up to date. Every tune we make is different and therefore it’s almost impossible to decide on which is the best one.
T:But Elysian Fields sticks out, not because we think it’s the best, just because it was the first drum & bass tune we did and it instantly got signed to Medschool.
M:The way we like our own tunes changes throughout time, for now I would say Foundationsticks out the most.
T:It portraits the soulful side of our productions really well, and the elements we used in that tune really stick out.
H: We’re aware of nights like Midnite Run, pushing the deeper side of things in Belgium; what’s your take on the Belgian bass scene – is it lively?
T:Belgian bass scene is OK, the past year a lot of young people came on the scene who like deep sounds and want to push it. Of course there’s always constants like Untitled! and Daily Dubstep who push things on a bigger scale, which is great because they helped to put Belgium on the map in bass country.
M:But it’s also nice to see some smaller promoters take the chance of pushing deep nights. The scene is pretty lively but also very tight, most producers/DJs/promoters know each other. We like it that way though.
H: Can you take us through how you went about putting together a tracklist for the mix.
T: Improvising is key for when we do mixes, we don’t work by set tracklists and just do what feels good at the time
H: Any plans in the pipe-line or forthcomings you'd like to put the word out about?
T & M:We've got a 12 inch dropping somewhere around June, we can’t really tell you too much about it but we’re really happy with it! There’s also another 12 inch dropping sometime this year with two collabs by ourselves and Antics on Orientis Records. Furthermore we got our release on Medschool Newblood011 dropping next week and a release on Embassy records somewhere this year.
Through acute attention to detail and with precision bordering on perfectionism when it comes to creating and layering sounds, Thelem's tunes are a showcase of balance and a sense of control. Making sub-heavy music, but without overdoing the sub, he may be included in the new breed of producers who are more audibly influenced by the spacious sounds of early-noughties producers such as Cyrus, Loefah and D1. There is no nostalgic emulation, however, as subtle differences in basslines and a greater emphasis on percussion set this sound apart; a degree of respect for the eyes-down origins of Dubstep is prevalent here but, with that same sense of balance, remains progressive and forward-thinking. This is something furthered through Thelem's record label launched earlier this year, Orientis Records, which maintains a dedication to vinyl with its releases. We caught up the man himself and got him to lay down the latest installment in our exclusive mix series, which is another deep selection strewn with dubplates.
Hedmuk:For those who don't know, what's your name, where are you from and how would you describe your sound?
Thelem: Easy, my name's Matt aka Thelem and I am from the Hampshire area. I would describe my sound as the deeper and darker dungeon vibes.
H: Would you describe yourself as from a musical background, or is something that you have picked up yourself?
T: Well it’s quite a long story actually; I never came from a musical background but have always been the creative type. I don’t think I would have ever of got into music production if I hadn’t lived in a shared house with my mate Tom aka Risc Terilia. I was always into Hip Hop, Grime and a bit of D&B, but in 2006 when I moved in he showed me dubstep. I loved the sounds of Loefah as it was on a similar kind of tip to some hip-hop beats with the 808’s and that. From there I wanted to learn how to make beats, Tom and Coleco already being good producers taught me the basics in Fruity, I then moved onto Logic and it all developed form there really.
H: What or who else do you take influence from when it comes to making beats?
T: Well I draw a lot of my inspiration from the earlier more original sounds of dubstep. Recently I have been getting more into sampling old sci-fi films, I have started to collect old sci-fi film soundtrack vinyl’s to find some more original sounds. Lately I have also been getting more into drum funk, taking a lot of inspiration from the producer Paradox, who to me is the master of atmospherics and drum work.
H: Your label, Orientis Records, has made a strong start this year with backing from influential names in the scene; what have you got planned for the label for the rest of the year?
T: For Orientis this year the main aim is to keep pushing it, making it more of an established label. I want to work more with the crew we got involved and release good music.
H: How important is it that all releases on the label are vinyl releases?
T: Well in my opinion I think that vinyl releases are important for the label. I believe that when you have a tune on vinyl it feels like you actually own the tune in a kind of physical way, rather than just having a digital copy sat on your computer. Without sounding arrogant or something, I think that pushing your label as a vinyl-orientated people tend too take it a little more seriously too. Saying all this though, I am aware times are changing and the digital format is increasingly getting more popular. So I think in the future we will be looking at doing some pure digital compilations with the artists involved, which will help to push and spread our sounds.
H: You play regularly on Rood FM; how did this come about and what sort of vibe do you try and achieve with your show?
T: My mate knew the guys who run Rood.fm and got me in contact with them, funnily enough they ended up living 2 minutes down the road from me. I messaged them about getting a set, explaining about Orientis and myself, it all went form there really. As for my show I want to push the sounds from the Orientis crew and my mates, I also like to play allot of older classics, which are sometimes forgotten about, or people are unaware of.
H: Can you take us through how you went about putting together a tracklist for the mix.
T: For this mix I wanted to keep it on an eyes-down vibe, showcasing some of the forthcoming Orientis tunes and a few of my own bits. Also adding in some tunes from producers I am really feeling and supporting at the moment.
H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you want to put the word out about?
T: Well I am putting out a few of my tunes, forthcoming on ORTS002. Clips can be heard on my Soundcloud page or on the Orientis Soundcloud. The tune ‘Constrained’ featured in the mix is forthcoming on Mindstep Music. Would also like the opportunity to play out more, so if anyone's interested they can hit me up on djthelem@gmail.com. Big ups!
It might have been the rise of the screeching, mid-range-led sound that has in recent years been taking over the image of dubstep that made the deeper, half-step end of the spectrum seem like the less soulful, even danceable option or it might easily have been 'Horror Show'; what is more clear though is the recent reclamation of this sound as the opposite of boring or motionless by a number of up-and-coming producers. The likes of Killa & Instinct, Lurka, TMSV, Myrkur and District are breathing new life into the sound, and Pressa is another name that can be added to that list. With a similarly progressive take on the sub-bass, halftime basics of dubstep and an audible jungle influence in not only his breaks but also his undulating basslines, Pressa is taking the sound forward with him. We caught up with the man himself to ask him a few questions, and he has laid down the latest installment in our exclusive mix series which features plenty of dubs and forthcomings aswell as an added segment of old school jungle tunes. Enjoi:
Hedmuk: For those who don't know, what's your name, where are you from and how would you describe your sound?
Pressa: I'm Pressa and I'm from the London borough of Bexley. I build dubstep and sub heavy beats for the mind, body and soul.
H: Would you describe yourself as from a musical background, or is something that you have picked up yourself?
P: It's something I've picked up. I was listening to underground music from a young age as my older siblings were into hardcore, jungle and house & garage music. No one in my family plays any instruments but we do love music, the neighbours used to complain alot (big up Colin!)
H: There is a clear jungle influence in a lot of your tunes, where does this influence come from and have you always made tunes in this way?
P: Yeah jungle is a big influence, I'm really into breaks and of course sub bass which are the main ingredients of jungle. It's been in the background a lot growing up so it would be hard to make music without the influence being there. I wouldn't say that all of my tunes are jungle influenced but a lot of them are yes.
H: What or who else do you take influence from when it comes to making beats?
P: I listen to a lot of drum and bass, dub, deep house, soul and old hip hop (music with soul or feeling). Music and sound in films influence me, I like the way it can add suspense or evoke a feeling.
H: You've included an extra segment of old jungle beats in your mix for us, is this something that you would often do for live sets?
P: I have played jungle before in dubstep sets and it goes down well, I plan on doing this more in the future.
H: Can you take us through how you went about putting together a tracklist for the mix?
P: The mix features tunes from friends and artists that I am feeling within the dubstep scene that are on a similar tip to what I am doing, as well as some jungle riddims from way back.
H: You play regularly on Rood FM; how did this come about and what sort of vibe do you try and achieve with your show?
P: I was on my way back from the pub and I bumped in to a girl I hadn't seen in a few years and she was with Fish who runs Rood FM, this was in 2008, 2 years later he hits me up and asks if I'm interested in a slot. I play a lot of my own material on the show as well as stuff with a similar vibe to me from upcoming and established producers. I also play some dnb and jungle. My show is every other Sunday from 8-10pm GMT but I am considering doing it every week.
H: Seeing as it's January, what do you want to have achieved by this time next year?
P: To have produced more music, get more bookings. I like to go with the flow really and just see what happens.
H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you want to put the word out about?
P: I've got a 3 track 12" out on Orientis which should be out around April, also I am part of the forthcoming Mindstep compilation which is a collaboration with Crisp, as well as a 4 track original/remix EP with Bojcot Selectah which will be out on Top Drawer Digital in the summer.
Phaeleh - Lockdown (feat. Jut Lew) (Forthcoming Open Earz)
Be-1ne - Illusion (Area) Pressa - Blue Mood (Forthcoming Orientis) Jack Sparrow - Way Out West (Cloqworq) Dcult - End Of Days (Dub) TMSV - Cold (Box Clever) Subreachers - Tsukuyomi (Dub) Spherix - Rule Of Threes (3.5) Killa & Instinct - Halftime (Dub) Coleco - Morbid Curiosity (Orientis) Randall & Andy C - Sound Control (Ram) Deep Blue - The Helicopter Tune (Moving Shadow) Fire Fox & 4-Tree - Warning (Powder Mix) (Philly Blunt) Die - Something special (V)
M: But it’s also nice to see some smaller promoters take the chance of pushing deep nights. The scene is pretty lively but also very tight, most producers/DJs/promoters know each other. We like it that way though.
