Featuring: Syte

A DJ who has been on the circuit since the mid-noughties, Syte has graced numerous pirate and internet radio stations as well as the decks of some of the most influential and forward-thinking clubnights in the country whilst also putting in the work running his own label, OpenEarz, and more recently joining with Rinse FM's Crises to push the label extension of MindStep. He's currently among a selection of talented DJs fully supporting the new breed of deep producers breaking into the scene with a fresh take on the classic spacious sound. We caught up with Syte to ask him about his role within the scene as a DJ, label owner and A&R and he's also laid down a mix for our exclusive series showcasing some of the artists and tunes he's feeling.

Hedmuk: For those who don't know, what's your name, where are you from, what sounds do you push and how would you describe your mixing style?


Syte: Easy, my name’s Jim and I live just outside the north west side of London in leafy South Bucks! These days I guess I’m pushing more of the deeper end of dubstep music in my DJ sets, but in general I just play tunes with a good amount of sub-bass: that’s the main criteria! My mixing style basically reflects the sort of DJ set that I’d like to hear if I was on the other side of the speakers; I try to pick tunes that work well together and I definitely treat each set a bit like a musical journey…for the listener and also for myself.

H: When did you start mixing, and what styles were you playing then?

S: Hard to remember when I started, but the first time I really got on some decks was at a mate’s who was really into hard house. When I finally got my own decks and began buying tunes I guess it would have been about 7 or 8 years ago and I started mixing dark, freeform hardcore, some breaks and a bit of drum & bass. Someone showed me 'Midnight Request Line' and I immediately went on a mission to find out and acquire as much of that sound as possible. I hadn’t really heard it called dubstep at that time, then Mary Anne Hobbs did the now legendary Dubstep Warz show on Radio 1 and I knew straight away the sound was destined for big things.

H: Over the years you've played alongside some of the biggest names in dubstep, what would go down as your most memorable gigs?

S: Yeah I’ve been blessed to play alongside some really gifted and groundbreaking producers over the last few years. There's so many different events in different places it’s hard to single them out but I gotta big up Resonance in Reading, Infraction in Milton Keynes, BASS! in Newcastle and Dubkulture in Croydon, definitely all memorable shows. More recently I really enjoyed One Love Festival last summer and I just played in Belgium last month which was amazing: anyone heading out there check out Rotation in Ghent and Midnite Run in Brussels!

H: Having appeared on numerous radio stations such as Rinse, React and Sub FM. how important do you think radio is for the more underground genres of music unlikely to get mainstream airplay?

S: I think it’s vital for underground music because there are so many people making good music and not everyone is going to get playlisted on 1Xtra, you know? It’s definitely needed for showing the average person about new music at a grass-roots level. I don’t know if I would even have got so heavily involved with dubstep if I hadn’t started doing the regular show on React FM when it was still running and I’ve always enjoyed doing radio, it’s something I hope I can always be involved with.



H: How did your label OpenEarz get started, and what was the motivation behind starting the imprint? What are you plans for the future of OpenEarz?

S: I just got to a point where I was stepping into record shops in London to check out the new releases and wasn’t always getting that inspired by what was making it onto the racks. I originally started radio playing on an internet station run by a friend based in my local area, and Synkro also started a show on the station. As soon as I heard his tunes I knew he was going to be huge when people heard them and after the station shut down we kept in contact. He supplied the tracks for 001 in the shape of 'Rudebwoy' and 'Hornz' and I was so inspired by the sounds coming from other producers in Manchester that I signed material from Indigo, xxxy and Dom Hz for the second and third releases. The fourth release has been held up with some distro issues recently but the tracks are 'Lockdown' and 'Lykasea', both produced by Phaeleh with Jut Lew featuring.

There’s lots more material ready for release, I’m not saying too much for the time being but there will also be a digital sister label launching soon which I’m very excited about. Also, a lot of people have been asking whether digital formats will be available of the first 3 releases so I can announce that should be happening soon.

H: You're also involved with the MindStep label and collective, who are making positive moves within the deeper end of the dubstep spectrum: how did this come about, and can you tell us a bit about the thinking behind MindStep?

S: I met Crises when I was playing at Dubscover in London; we got talking and connected straight away on a personal and musical level. I joined MindStep as a resident DJ which has been a great experience and I help to promote the events which have been running in East London for just over 2 years. The idea of the label is an extension of the music policy of the events: to create a deep mindful experience within the electronic underground world. It’s also an opportunity to shine the spotlight on up-and-coming producers that deserve recognition for their craft - the compilation features several artists that won’t be familiar to some people and there’s a mix of flavours for every listener. We’re holding a launch party at Gramaphone on Friday 15th and the 17 track compilation drops the following Monday on Beatport, check out MindStep on Facebook and Soundcloud for more info!



H: Tell us a bit about how you went about preparing the mix you've laid down for us.

S: I’ve been following the content here on Hedmuk for a while and really enjoyed all the mixes so far, noticing the clear emphasis on deeper, darker sounds so I really wanted this mix to reflect my interpretation of the direction that sound is heading in. Whether you want to call it 'dungeon' or something else, I really feel there’s a strong movement of deeper producers with huge talent bubbling just under the surface of the dubstep scene at the moment so I guess this mix is a showcase of some of that talent. There are so many producers whose tunes I’m feeling it could have carried on for another 2 hours!

H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you want to put the word out on?

S: Yeah just keep your ears to the ground for announcements about upcoming OpenEarz releases, make sure you support the MindStep Music compilation and hit up my various networking pages for info about what I’m up to or to book me: big up Hedmuk!


Download: Syte - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix


Tracklist:

Dom Hz - Let You Down [Dub]
Geeks & Antics - Governments [For The Win]
Goli & Ashburner - Dread [DBox]
Versa & Rowl - Full Moon [Dub]
Pressa - Orbs [Orientis Dub]
Goli & Ashburner - Field Of Vibrations (Subreachers Remix) [Dub]
Antics - Unconscious [Orientis Dub]
Core - Bass [Dub]
Quantum Soul - The Path [Dub]
Killa & Instinct - FiftyOne [Dub]
DJ Madd - New Reality [Osiris]
Pistonsbeneath - Resonate [Dub]
Lurka - Blank [Dub]
Kryptic Minds - The Fifth [Black Box]
Subreachers - Disfunctional Systems Ltd [Dub]
Mileage - Everlasting Inc [MindStep Music Dub]
LX One - Give It Up [Wheel & Deal]
J:Kenzo - Nocturnal Feelings [Tuba dub]
Kromestar - Grey Thought [Dubstar dub]
Curzed - Night Storm [Dub]
Cessman - Gad Man Calling [Dub]
Biome - Untitled [Dub]
Seven - Cerebral [Subway Dub]
V.I.V.E.K - Roots [Deep Medi]

Syte - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

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Featuring: Cogidubnus

With the ever-increasing apparent necessity for music to come with a genre label there comes an increase in the number of artists seeking to push past these boundaries and defy taxonomies by blending a wide variety of sounds. It is not often, however, that this is done successfully as it is all too easy to either go to far and lose a sense the essentials of rhythm and melody; when done well, though, the results can be thought-provoking, immersive and even danceable. Cogidubnus is one producer who is consistent in this and works to defy genre categories in both his own tunes, his DJ sets and will soon be providing a solid platform for other artists with the launch of his label, Broken Bubble. We caught up with him for an interview and he laid down an exclusive mix for us, which can be streamed and downloaded below.

Hedmuk: For those who don't know, what's your name, where are you from and how would you describe your sound?

Cogidubnus: I’m Guy, I’m from and have spent most of my time in and around Manchester. Hmm, my sound…deep, ambient, percussive electronica that could vaguely be-called post-dubstep.

H: Would you describe yourself as from a musical background, or is it something that you have picked up yourself?

C: Yeah, both my parents have spent their whole lives playing in orchestras and my mum’s a music teacher so it’s always been a strong presence in my growing up. I played the piano, guitar and oboe at various stages of childhood, but wasn’t very committed with any of them at that time. Fortunately I can just about still remember a few piano chords which has come in handy recently.

The Pan-Galactic Memory Bank by Cogidubnus

H: Where or from who would you say you take the strongest influence?

C: My brother introduced me to The Orb and Future Sound of London when I was about 13 and some of those early-90s ambient albums made a huge impression and I still listen to them a lot now. I’ve always been a bit of sci-fi geek too, so the music from a lot of film & TV stuff has wound its way into my consciousness, particularly Vangelis’ Blade Runner soundtrack and the sounds the guys at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop were coming up with in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

H: Your output is very varied in terms of the mood it carries, do you find yourself setting out to make beats for a particular environment (e.g. club, bedroom etcetera) or is it a less controlled process?

C: It’s not really that controlled from the off, I just bounce ideas around until they form into something cohesive. I don’t write in a highly structured way at all, I’ve got a young daughter so I rarely get the time to spend several hours at once making music. Having only short bursts to produce can be incredibly frustrating, but it also yields some little moments of inspiration and new perspectives on a sound or tune that I might not have had otherwise.

Bisquitine - featured on "Lost" (Methodology Recordings) by Cogidubnus

H: Manchester seems to be one of the few places with a large number of artists, such as XXXY & Damu, who are willing to push things forward irrespective of genre boundaries: what's your take on this situation? And, as part of this loose collective, can you shed some light on what is behind this experimentalism?

C: I’ve DJ’d with those guys quite a bit at Sicknote and This City is Ours, two nights that always had a very open musical policy, vaguely aligned to the dubstep scene but basically giving DJs carte blanche to play whatever they want. Given that a few of those early nights (one in particular I can remember all 3 of us being at) were, er… less than well-attended, many of us have got experience of just playing our own stuff through a decent system just to a handful of other DJs and producers and playing in those kind of situations encourages a bit more risk-taking. But mainly I think, we’re all independently making the music we want to be making and the Manchester scene over the last couple of years has seemed particularly receptive to people who want to push the boat out a bit more and not necessarily play to genre expectations.

H: You're about to launch the new Broken Bubble label; what has inspired you to make this move and can you shed some light on any future releases lined up?

C: After putting together the Pan-Galactic Memory Bank EP, I felt really happy with it as a collection of tracks but couldn’t see a natural home for it on any other labels, there’s quite a wide range of bpm’s going on and as something I felt very attached to, I wanted to keep full control over how it was marketed and distributed. I’d also been in contact with Duskky & Hurtdeer from the Mothers Against Noise collective down in London for a few months whose tunes I absolutely adore and they were really into the idea of getting involved and have each delivered stunning 4-track collections that I can’t wait to get out there for people to hear. We’re also putting together a free compilation of new tunes plus some remixes of tracks of the first 3 EPs from the likes of Wagawaga, Second Line, Muteqx and Manc band From the Kites of San Quentin - I’m hugely excited about the way that’s shaping up so far, and all being well we’ll try and get that out by the end of March. There are plenty of tasters of our sound on the mix…

Squidlore by Cogidubnus

H: Your mix is an expansive one in terms of the variety of sounds represented, how did you go about selecting a tracklist for it?

C: There’s tunes from my last couple of sets at This City is Ours and a few tasty beats that have hit my inbox in the last week or so. I always try and cram a lot of different styles in these days – I love my chilled beats but wanted to make sure there was plenty of dancefloor energy in this set as well, so I’ve tried to blend things around making sure that it’s never stays at just one particular vibe for too long and hopefully maintains interest throughout.

H: Seeing as it's January, what do you want to have achieved by this time next year?

C: Getting a vinyl out would be nice, but I’m not really setting myself any major goals at the moment beyond getting the label up-and-running and continuing to enjoy making and playing music.

H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you want to put the word out about?

C: Wagawaga and Hurtdeer will be coming to Manchester to help me launch Broken Bubble at This City is Ours at An Outlet on March 12th. It’s a great intimate little venue round the back of Piccadilly Station and Waga’s doing a brand new all-hardware live set, so it’s one not to be missed.

Download: Cogidubnus - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix

Tracklist:

Phaeleh - Sundown [Afterglo]
Cogidubnus - Open Shape [Exclusive Dub)
Second Line - Hush [Dub]
Lone - Ultramarine [Magic Wire)
Mr Gasparov & G.Rina - Transient Love [Forthcoming Iberian]
Acre - Deaf Ears / Swirling Lights [Free]
Cogidubnus - Hoag's Object (Hurtdeer's Ace Job, Ghost! Deermix) [Forthcoming Broken Bubble - Exclusive Dub]
FBOM - I'm So Serious [Dub]
Duskky - Unterseeboot [Forthcoming Broken Bubble]
LA77 - Cubed [Mind On Fire]
Dub From Atlantis - Silly Little Things (Kahn Remix) [Forthcoming Ranking]
Commix - How You Gonna Feel (Pedestrian Remix) [Metalheadz]
DFRNT - Relentless [Dub]
Hurtdeer - Horselover [Forthcoming Broken Bubble]
Cogidubnus - Robophobia [Dub]
Grave Architecture - Hassium [Mind On Fire]
Shackleton - Hackney Marshes [Tectonic]
Duskky - The GQ6 [Forthcoming Broken Bubble]
Macka - Chanticleer [Amenorea]
Cogidubnus - The Pan-Galactic Memory Bank (Duskky's Rodent Raver Remix) [Forthcoming Broken Bubble]
Hurtdeer - Katzenjammer [Forthcoming Broken Bubble]
Macka - Liverpool Sirens [Free]

Cogidubnus - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

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