LEVELZ - LVL 01.2

Part two of the three-part cypher series and taking things up a level - including the tempo - Chimpo brings a bag full of dubplate specials and classic grime instrumentals for the best MCs in the English language to ride.

And with the first run of events now complete, next week sees Levelz hosting the Manchester leg (where else?) of the Sound History Tour. Roy Davis Jr., Eliphino, Shola Ama, Sticky, Moony and Oscar Luweez each bring their own flavour to the evening, and all in the decadent surroundings of the increasingly infamous Antwerp Mansion. For more information, including how to purchase tickets in advance, head over to the Facebook event page over here.

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LEVELZ - LVL 01.1

We've been saying it long enough, and our friends at Hit & Run have always been ready to provide lineups that attest: Manchester is the UK's leading light when it comes to MCs. Anyone needing a convincer might listen to the cypher cut, 'Bun Ya', from DRS' 'I Don't Usually Like MCs But...' LP. And whilst the likes of Strategy, T-Man, Skittles, Fox and Sparkz may be familiar to some from their appearances in the 'feat.' bracket on some of the biggest beats from the past couple of years - without even having to mention 'Marka' - there's no better place to catch them than passing a mic, stood in between a DJ and a bopping crowd.

And that's exactly what we have here, the first in a three-part cypher session (with future episodes seeing Chimpo and Dub Phizix take to the decks): Jonny Dub mixing slick with a whole host of Manchester's finest trading bars.

Levelz is the start of something very exciting, believe us.

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Featuring: Coleco

With releases on labels ranging from Hospital's Med School sister label to the sadly recently-deceased Soul Motive - whose back catalogue you would be a fool not to dip your whole leg (and wallet) into - Coleco has a habit of popping up where you might not have expected, and then promptly reminding you why you know his name already. He's one of those rare, under-appreciated producers who makes being ahead of the curve look easy. Think back to Ramadanman getting shout-outs on Youngsta's show back in 2004. Fact Mag recently ran a piece on the recent resurgence of drum & bass and the ways in which the outside influences of dubstep, footwork and hip-hop have driven this, and it would be fair to include Coleco within this resurgence - except, of course, that to confine him with the label of 'drum & bass' would be to do him a huge disservice. From drum & bass, to dubstep (and introducing Thelem to the sound), to footwork, to trap (more on that below), to whatever's going to be interesting next; rest assured that Coleco will have been there before you...

Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where do you hail from, and how would you describe your sound?

Coleco: My name is Alex, and I'm originally from the dormant, soulless commuter town of Farnborough, Hampshire. Now living in Bristol.

It's hard to categorise my sound, but I suppose you could say it's currently focused on up-tempo rhythms influenced by dubstep, footwork, 'trap', and D&B, with melodies/sounds influenced by anything.

H: Something that's always stood out about your tunes is the intricacy in the drums: is this where you start when you set down to write, or do you tend to build the drums in around an initial riff?

C: Yup, drums usually start first. I've tried it the other way around - the odd time has been successful, but it mostly ends up sounding like a pile of crap.



H: In terms of instrumentation too, you're willing to adopt sounds from all over the world. Where do you see this approach as stemming from? What sort of music would you say you draw most influence from, particularly in terms of sound, arrangement and style?

C: I'm not gonna sit here and say 'Yeah, I'm mostly influenced by 50's progressive jazz, Hungarian folk music and 60's dub reggae' in order to sound really rootsy and cool. Let's face it, most of the time we just draw ideas from our favourite producers, a lot of the time from within the same genre, and whack some of those other sounds we like over the top or modify it a bit into something new. A rare breed of people sit in their little hermetic bubble, making avant-garde-experimental-weirdstep - and props to them, but mostly we are just reluctant to admit we copy each other.

I do however sometimes think 'that sound is fucking cool and hardly anyone is using it'; [and that can often be the case with] a lot of instruments from around the world. I was exposed to a good bit of ''world" music as a kid and that's probably why I'm more inclined to put some of it in there. I could also say that Chicago footwork, and 'trap' tunes are influencing my drum rhythms at the moment, alongside older-style dubstep, and certain styles of drum & bass.

H: As someone who caught onto the dubstep sound pretty early, do you think you'd ever have predicted how quickly it might grow? How do you view it now? Is it something that, for you, has been and gone and left you to focus on new things, or do you see it as retaining a healthy influence and potential for musical originality?

C: No, I didn't predict it to grow into the monster it became. Originally I wasn't really in the mindset of thinking about where it would go, I don't know if I ever really thought about it. Some people used to say it would stay well underground and liked to imagine an eternity of pitch black rooms with huge subs, local producer heads lurking about, and lots of slow, meditative "skanking". I was never good enough at it to get big or very well known. When the whole "brostep" thing kicked off, loads of scene heads were up in arms, ranting about how their precious child had been bastardised and the Americans are to blame for everything. I kept quiet, because I knew eventually it'd all come around and a section of the mainstream would break off and discover the underground. This is why a lot of talented producers that hung onto dubstep now have the pleasure of touring the US in hyped venues. Will most of them get a gig in Bristol at the moment? Will they play the city which was once dubbed "The Second Home of Dubstep"? Probably not. Nearly everyone here is dancing to the house music revival now, there are almost no active dubstep promoters.

Dubstep will always be close to my heart because I made what I thought could be called dubstep for years: it's just a tempo and a leaning toward a particular rhythm structure at the end of the day. I know there are a lot people out there that are still pushing the sound forward, and that's great. I don't really conceptualise "moving on" myself; I've made a lot of stuff at 140, I just wanna make and play some faster stuff at the moment, call it what you like.



H: More recently you've been pushing the tempo up towards the 160 bracket. What was your thinking behind this? You seem to be able to take the sounds and styles that you'd always previously worked with, but twist them into a new form here.

C: Well, I first picked up on the fact that Planet Mu were releasing proper Chicago footwork beats, and some other tunes from producers that were hybridising the sound with other stuff. That led me on to dig a bit deeper. To be honest, like a lot of people, at the time I thought so much of the proper footwork tunes I found were interesting, but a bit abrasive. I'd not heard it on a system yet, and it wasn't in my culture. Then there were others tracks that really caught my ear. The overriding realisation was that you could do so much with this. It kicked me out of the habit of just going back to the same dubstep rhythms, and I enjoyed the energy of the faster tempo as I first got into electronic music through drum & bass. It made me start to think about rhythm in a new way again. I'm very grateful to the Chicago footwork producers for that, and the people that brought it over to the UK.

Same thing with the "trap" stuff. Yup... I just used the dirty word that causes so many to curl up inside. I put it in inverted commas because of course I'm referring more to 'electronic music influenced by southern hip hop' rather than the original trap genre. And the same thing again, a lot of it I don't like. A lot of it, personally, I find a bit over the top and abrasive. But more increasingly there's more producers influenced by the movement that are doing stuff I do like. I'm even thankful to the ones I don't, because they were part of what gave me new ideas. Whilst a lot of other people were moaning about it, so horrified by its development, saying 'what the hell is all this crappy trap stuff? It's horrible!', some other producers in the scene were quietly sitting there thinking something like: 'Well yeah, it's not all 100% up my street either, but it sure has given me some new ideas about drum patterns and tune structure.' They just mostly never said it, probably because they were scared about being chucked on the trash heap by the same purists that had done the same with anything else they thought was "trap shit".

H: With more people looking to experiment within that higher tempo range now, who are you tipping - besides yourself, of course - for fans to keep an eye on?

C: Oh god, I wouldn't have the time to think of all of them, and I don't want to separate artists into "known artists" and "up-and-coming artists", so I'll just give a few I'm loving at the moment: The Host, Adam Elemental, EPROM, Deft, Om Unit, Fracture, Sam Binga, Addison Groove, Machinedrum, Danny Scrilla, Ital Tek, EAN, Moresounds, Krampfhaft, and probably a load more that I'll kick myself for not remembering to list. There's lots out there.

H: You're also involved with running Inflect in Bristol. Tell us a bit about the night, and what got you into promoting nights; how do you view the lie of the musical land in Bristol currently, and where does Inflect fit in?

C: My girlfriend, Lorna, and I run Inflect; she is responsible for a lot of it. It's a small, humble operation really. We started it so we could hear some of this higher tempo music with new influences in Bristol clubs. Amongst the fact we still love dubstep and drum & bass, so some of that sometimes lands up in the melting pot too. We do exactly what we want, at the end of the day: we're flexible.

The Bristol club scene has changed so much. It's absolutely full to the roof with house and techno now. It's at saturation point. Actually, no... it's at the point of insanity. Just several weeks ago I wanted to go out and not listen to 4x4 beats. Looked online, there were seven house/techno nights, and one hardstyle night. There is rarely a dubstep event on here, and even drum & bass nights are few and far between. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of house and techno, most of modern electronic music basically came from house music anyway, but when the variety on offer is so restricted it does start to get a bit frustrating. There just isn't a clubbing fanbase here anymore to keep, for example, a regular dubstep night going - might as well move to the US now if you want that! Things are changing though and, fingers crossed, they will continue to change.

H: How did you go about putting together the mix you've done for us?

C: It's just a mix of some 160-170 stuff I like. I've tried to organise the tunes in a way that they blend fairly well melodically, and take you on a journey through a few different styles. To play some tunes that people already know, and perhaps some stuff people don't. Hopefully it's enjoyable for most people.



H: Finally, are there are any forthcoming releases or anything else in the pipeline for people to look out for?

C: Y'know the classic thing: I don't wanna say anything specific because then it won't happen and I'll look like a tit. All I can say is expect the possibility of a release on a good label that is known for pushing footwork-related stuff, a remix from a well known artist who I very much respect, and collaborations with some very talented producers. There will be more releases from me soon, perhaps even some vinyl. Sorry to not be more specific! And lastly, thanks to Hedmuk for putting this out there.


Download: Coleco - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix


Tracklist:

DjRum - Thank You [2nd Drop]
XLII - No Cure (EAN Remix) [Neon High]
The Host - Neonia [Dub]
Sepalcure - Eternally Yrs [Hotflush]
Adam Elemental - Shadow Self [Dub]
Coleco - Focus 10 [Runtime]
Muaramasa - Midas Touch [TrapDoor]
EPROM - Regis Chillbin (Machinedrum Remix) [Rwina]
Deft - The Count (Bounce) [Rwina]
Coleco - Ghost Rhythm [Loose Squares]
DJ Pillsbury - Everybody Get Down [Juke Trax]
EAN - Burnt [Cosmic Bridge]
Muramasa - Cruel [Trapdoor]
Deft - Masqurade [Rwina]
Om Unit & Sam Binga - Gamma [Exit Records]
Adam Elemental - Zero Point [Dub]
Danny Scrilla - Fallout [Civil Music]
Spirit & Digital - Phantom Force [Fracture Astrophonica Edit]
Alix Perez - Villians 1 Heros 0 (feat. They Call Me Raptor) [Shogun Audio]
Coleco - Nostalgic Future [TrapDoor]
Alix Perez - Warlord (feat. Riko Dan) [Shogun Audio]
Coleco - Micro [Dub]
Flosstradamus - Rollup (Baauer Remix) [Fools Gold]
Fracture - Clissold (Machinedrum VIP) [Astrophonica]
Coleco - Micro (EAN Remix) [Dub]
Paradox - Aphorismic [Paradox Music]
Fracture - Better Than Tomorrow [Metalheadz]
Paradox - Crate Logic [Samurai Red Seal]
Fanu - Leave The Natural World Behind [13 Music]

Coleco - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

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Photo Review: Gottwood Festival 2013

A few weeks back we joined our friends from Hit&Run at Gottwood Festival in Wales, and along with the crew was Alex Morgan to take some snaps. We've got a few of his favourite shots presented here, capturing every angle of what is a genuinely unique festival tucked away in North Wales - for the full set just head over here. And for more from Alex, including photography, videography and music production, you can visit his website here.

Featuring: Distance

We're not ones to make a big deal out of numerical milestones here at Hedmuk, although there have been a few that have been noted quietly, but since first speaking with Distance about the possibility of having him contribute an interview and mix to our exclusive series we thought it might be worth holding out until we hit our half century. We're not really ones for looking backwards either, and a(n ironic) quick glance back over the forty-nine artists whose contributions precede this one is testament to the future-facing approach that Hedmuk is, and has always been, about.

Of course it's fitting, then, that we be able to talk with a producer who has, since first sitting down in front of a sequencer or - further back - picking up a guitar, been firmly focussed on what lies ahead and how he can bring a bit of himself to it. Being at the forefront of the dubstep scene since its very earliest beginnings wasn't anything to do with luck or 'right place, right time' or any of the other cliches: what really held the sound's pioneers together was exactly the fact that they were all pioneers, all looking to do something new and all bringing their own individual edge to it. Mary Anne Hobbs' legendary Dubstep Warz show was two hours of purely innovative music, and would arguably have been notably less so without the contribution of Distance (or any other of the individuals involved): such was the balance, tension even, that kept things fresh and continually moving forwards. 'This show will change your life', the ident claimed, and it was certainly no flash in electronic music's pan; things may have changed a lot since then, but what hasn't is Distance's dedication to pushing a sound, through his own productions and through the music he releases on his own Chestplate imprint, that he can believe in...


Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's you name, where do you hail from and how would describe your sound?

Distance: I'm Distance and I'm from Bromley, I would describe my sound as dark, futuristic, emotional energy (laughs).

H: Your interest in heavy metal, and its visible influence on your music, has been fairly well documented; but what was it that drew you over to a more electronic-based approach to writing music? How far do you feel that this more distinct musical background aided you in developing a unique sound within the 140 spectrum?

D: Well during my later teens I started to listen to the electronic artists such as The Prodigy, Aphex Twin and Portishead aswell as many others, but dance music had always been around me I just hadn't paid a lot of attention to it: my main focus was metal. Some of the bands I listened to started to include drum machines and samplers in their tracks and that's what probably sparked my original interest. During college I met a lot of new people who were into completely different styles of music to me and that's when I really began to take notice of underground dance music such as UKG, drum & bass and even some more commercial stuff. I became a massive DJ EZ fan and would always check his show on Kiss FM, but over time I noticed a darker sound slowly creeping into UKG: something which really grabbed me and it reminded of the dark energy and emotion I felt from metal. This dark UKG music became dubstep. That's cutting the story very short, but for me that is where it all started: it was at a time when I would mix Todd Edwards into Pulse X into Wookie then into something ridiculous like a Misteeq remix (laughs).

I think metal music definitely influenced my production; if you listen to my earlier stuff the drum arrangments were crazy: so many drum rolls and edits - something which I'm looking to go back to, actually. I was also one of the first people to be using distorted basses in tracks and this was because of my love for distorted guitars; it was natural for me because I had already been playing guitar for years so as soon as I created a synth sound or bass it was only natural for me to think 'well I might as well add distortion and why not a flanger', and that's how my experimentation with sound design really began: by processing my sounds as though I was putting a guitar through a multi-effects unit.



H: Both of your albums were released in fairly quick succession, and were key in establishing you as a major player with a unique sound: can you see yourself writing another album at any point in the near future? 

D: I've been starting my 3rd album for the last 3 years! (laughs) But I keep getting involved in other projects, I will be properly starting it soon. I have tracks which are unfinished which I know will be album material: everytime I write something new and it doesn't really fit within a scene's template I keep it in a special folder (laughs). It will be much more experimental them my last 2, and it has to stand up to them.

H: You mentioned recently the possibility of a Deleted Scenes album, alongside Pinch: how likely is it that such an album will be released?

D: It's very likely! We've been talking about it for years and what was just us basically doodling is slowly developing into something very unique and exciting. Whether or not we make dubstep, you will have to wait and see.

H: With many of the names alongside whom you were instrumental in pushing dubstep now taking the tempo down a few notches, working and experimenting particularly around the 130bpm mark, have you been moved to try your hand with different tempos and styles?

D: I've got so much material at different tempos, I'm just holding it down for the right projects and the right time. I did have 3 drum & bass tracks surface thanks to the Autonomic lads and I've got a load of other drum & bass tracks almost finished; I actually posted up a new one today on my Soundcloud. I've been writing some crazy dark hip-hop and weird housey beats at 110bpm too, some of which are deliberately made for vocalists.

H: You've always been known to engage with your fanbase, most notably perhaps through your video tutorials. How important is it to you that that relationship between artist and fan is maintained?

D: I think it's very important. In regards to the tutorials, I've seen so many people just post bullshit which doesnt relate to anything: 'How to make Skrillex basslines', 'How to make Noisia basslines' ..... FUCK OFF! None of the people making those tutorials can make anything close to what these artists can, it cracks me up. I would rather show people the basics so they can go away and create their own sounds. Part of the reason dubstep has now become so over-saturated is because everyone has access to Youtube and rather than spend the time and produce a stem of creativity they would rather copy what some prick is doing on Youtube. It's all to easy. I spend days even weeks creating new sounds.

What you see is what you get from me, that's probably why some of the GetDarker TV episodes with me in are so messy (laughs).



H: You seemed to step things up with Chestplate in a big way in 2012, with regular releases from new signings, residencies at Fabric and 1Xtra, with the Daily Dose series. What made you decide to redirect the bulk of your energies towards the label rather than your own solo output?

D: It just felt like the right time: I was getting hit up to do so many remixes plus other things, so first of all I wanted to make sure the label was still putting out material, and secondly I wanted to create a solid label with solid artists. I didn't want to be one of these labels that ended up with 50 people on its roster, I wanted it to be a tight crew. This also meant that the artists got regular releases, rather then being number 20 in a waiting list.

As I'm sure most people know, I wasn't a massive fan of the whole 'brostep' or tear-out side of dubstep, so I wanted to be the label that remained true but still brought out future-sounding music. A lot of the other dubstep labels jumped aboard the tearout train and basically released anything they could, hoping for a number one in the charts (laughs).

As for the Daily Dose thing, MistaJam approached me to do it but at the time I couldn't because I was still on Rinse FM so it just became a Chestplate Daily Dose. That's now come to an end, but much respect to MistaJam and 1Xtra for having us be involved.

I still dont know how the Fabric thing happened, (laughs) the guys at Fabric are amazing though and very supportive. Every Chestplate takeover has been nuts: feels like the proper old vibes you got from the earlier dubstep raves.

H: Your back catalogue reveals what would appear to be a dedication to labels with a strong image in terms of the music, ideals and aesthetic that they want to represent: is this something you've always envisaged Chestplate as having? How important is it to you that your label be viewed as 'bag-on-sight'?

D: Definitely, and I want it to be one of those labels that people can trust enough to buy on sight and know that I don't just release tracks for the sake of it. Most of the tracks are ones which I've seen go off at a rave or had ravers tapping me on the shoulder and asking 'what the fuck is this?!' Some tracks just grab you and you don't why: they're the tracks I want to release! Nothing I do is based on hype, hype is exactly that: it's exciting for a very small moment and then it's gone, a bit like candles on a birthday cake. Most of the hype people see or believe to be real is actually bullshit and just a result of very good management.



H: Re-releasing 'Falling' on your own label after it had already been put out by a major label seemed a bold move: was it as simple a case as wanting to have the tune out there on vinyl as well as digital, or did you see it as an opportunity to direct a new audience towards Chestplate? How important is it to you that your music is released on vinyl?

D: I don't think it was released after, but if it was it wasn't deliberate: it was supposed to be at the same time. I pressed it because Island were not going to release it on vinyl so I offered as I thought it would have been really sad for 'Falling' and 'Malice' not to have been pressed. At that time 'Malice' was still a big underground tune in my set and some people were expecting to have it on vinyl, I still find it amazing that a label like Island released 'Malice'.

There was never a secret agenda though, no dreams of being best mates with the stars (laughs). The only reason 'Falling' got signed was because it was a big underground track that just-so-happened to work on a commercial level too.

H: Since Chestplate was established as a platform from which to release your own music, how easy or difficult was it to find new artists for the label who you felt were doing something new and original and yet still fitted, to some extent at least, with what the label already represented?

D: Well the main reason I started to sign new artists was because I was hearing new music which was amazing and yet no one wanted to release it. It all started with Tunnidge and '7 Breaths'! I just couldn't believe that no one had snatched it up and I just thought 'Fuck this! This is a sick tune and it has to come out!' I then heard music from an unknown guy called District and then later down the road Sleeper and Razor Rekta.

I just heard something very special in their music even though the mixdowns weren't great and they weren't super polished, they had a hold on me. I would have found it devastating if these guys never had a chance to get their beats out there. I'm sure so many producers at that time making deeper dubstep moved onto other sounds or became disheartened. If I'm honest, there were only a few labels which really kept dubstep interesting and kept things moving forwards; a lot of labels became lost chasing whatever sound seemed to be doing well commercially, and in the long term have completely lost their identity.

H: Finally, are there any forthcomings or anything else in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out on?

D: My next release on Chestplate is out in May and that features 'Set You Free (feat. Stepa)' and, on the flip, 'Gorilla Force'  Chestplate's next take over at Fabric is on the 24th of May. I'm also currently working on a vocalists album, which is almost finished, and even though it isn't really my project I can't wait for people to hear it.

Pinch and I are also in the thick of writing the first Deleted Scenes album and I can honestly say I've never felt this excited about a project before: next level beats!!!!!



Download: Distance - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix



Tracklist:


District - Kraken [Chestplate]
J:Kenzo - Cause & Effect [Dub]
Cyrus & Distance - Rude [Chestplate]
Distance - Set You Free (feat. Stepa) [Forthcoming Chestplate]
Sleeper - Systema [Dub]
Distance - Gorilla Force [Forthcoming Chestplate]
District - Antidote [Chestplate]
Razor Rekta - Metro [Dub]
Distance - Twilight (Tunnidge Remix) [Dub]
Distance - Broken Dawn [Dub]
District - Transmission [Chestplate]
Distance - Meanstreak [Chestplate]
Sleeper - Species [Dub]
J:Kenzo - Ricochet [Dub]
Distance - Andromeda [Dub]
Proxima - Fallout [Dub]
Razor Rekta - Apollo [Dub]
District - Aftermath [Dub]
Icicle - Acid Step VIP [Dub]
DJ Madd - Life You Chose (Distance Remix) [Black Box]
Gantz - U Won't Mind [Dub]
Sleeper & District - War (Tunnidge Remix) [Dub]
Sleeper - Total Destroy System [Dub]
Pinch - Swish (Distance Remix) [Dub]
Amit - No Mercy (feat. Rani) [Dub]

Distance - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

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Free Download: Sparxy & Fused Forces - Leviathan Remixes EP

After a somewhat overwhelming response to December's remix competition was the task of picking out a winner to be released on Bacon Dubs and a selection of runners-up to have their efforts collected on a free EP. With the original intention being to put just three entries on the free release, our final shortlist of five was proving difficult to whittle down any further and so the decision was jointly made to include four entries.

First though, is first place: Yungwanz took the 140 template and bent it to a techy drum & bass stepper, playing intricate percussion off against the original's Reese bassline to a startling effect. His remix is available to preview below, and will be included on Sparxy's next release on Bacon Dubs.

Sparxy & Fused Forces  - Leviathan (Yungwanz Remix)


There's similar variation to be found among the runners-up too, each of whom set to take the remix stems and shape them to a new mould and mood. Feonix took the minimal approach, stripping the entire project back to its core elements of bass, space and swinging drums; Syxx, meanwhile, stepped to the other extreme and amped the entire track up with the Reese sound dominating, puckered only by latent synth plucks and a heavy snare; ARtroniks went for atmosphere and came back with plenty of it, along with meditative head-nod drums and those Reeses twisted in on themselves; of all of the entries, just1 arguably took the biggest turn left from the original tune and made of it something almost entirely new: a warm sub with dubby drums and piano and choral samples lilting throughout.


Download: Sparxy & Fused Forces - Leviathan Remixes EP




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Radio: Hedmuk X Rood FM - 23/01/13

Hedmuk X Rood FM - 23/01/13


Stream: Hedmuk X Rood FM - 23/01/13

Download: Hedmuk X Rood FM - 23/01/13


Tracklisting:

Distance & Cyrus - Rude
BunZer0 - Overdrive Dub
Gantz - Enso
Caski - Patient
Core - How It Is
Asylum - Blindfold
Heny G - Candy
BunZer0 & Kamine - Reciprocity
Taiko - Unrest
Wayfarer - Shaman
Threnody - Synchronic
Breen - Hooded Up
Boofy - 50hz
Preditah - Evil Twin
Boofy - Nank
Dark0 - Violate
Bookz - Get Paper
Darq E Freaker - Mortuary
DJ Pantha - A Dat Me Seh (feat. MNT)
Dot Rotten - Bazooka
Dot Rotten - Bazooka (2008 Remix)
Devlin - Dumplin'
Karma - Meanings
Cluekid - Dolphin
Truth - Time (feat. Yayne) (Kaiju Remix)

Sparxy & Fused Forces - Leviathan (Yungwanz Remix) [Competition Winner]
Sparxy & Fused Forces - Leviathan (Feonix Remix)

Baitface - Trackers
Wayfarer - Hesitation
LX One - On My Own
Commodo & Lurka - Glue Sniff Riddim
Distance & Cyrus - Titan
Taiko - Risky
Facta - Watertank
Youngsta - Poseidon
Sepia - Observer
Coleco - Lovin' Me
Underclass - Rawkus
Beneath - Name Droppin'
Killjoy - Memories
Caski - Buss It
Sepia - Bullets
Etch - Take Me
Majora - Shook
Sleepy Time Ghost - Rule Your Destiny (feat. Ras Demo)
The Mouse Outfit - Who Gwan Test (feat. Sparkz & Dubbul O)

Hedmuk X Rood FM - 23/01/13 by Preacha [Hedmuk] on Mixcloud

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Pack London: Kasra Interview

Our friends over at Pack London recently landed an interview with drum & bass don Kasra, head of the inimitable Critical Records, in which they discussed everything from the label's beginnings and the Critical Fabric mix CD to their New Year's Eve warehouse party plans and which artists have caught Kasra's ear recently. So for the full lowdown, just click on through from the image below...

Preacha.

Featuring: Threnody

Photo: Ali Wade

With the Etch feature, delivered back in March of this year, there was the sense that something was building afresh in the UK underground: after the expected backlash against the rapid, perhaps saturated, resurgence of dark half-step dubstep, it was interesting to see a producer who was still looking back to dubstep's roots but more so to its opposing garage offshoot of grime. He wasn't the only one either, as a series of tunes arriving in the Hedmuk inbox from another, Threnody, were making obvious. The important strand that can be vaguely strung between the likes of Etch, Threnody, Wen, Epoch, Visionist and Beneath (among others) is not grime, though; its rather what made grime so exciting at the point of its own mucky inception: an apparently inimitable reactive force, ultimately aimed at pushing at even those boundaries - be they of 'genre' or 'style' - laid down by the UK underground itself in pursuit of genuine, sometimes called raw, expression. A visceral music, then, and so a powerful influence for any producer to be weaving into their work, no doubt; add to that, years of production/DJing/industry experience, a highly professional attitude, and one of the sharpest tastes in music around and you've just about got Gordon Sweeney, aka Threnody.


Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where do you come from, and how would you describe your sound?

Threnody: I’m Gordon Sweeney, I’ve produced/DJed under the name Threnody since 2001. I’m originally from Maidenhead (in good company with Vex’d, DJ Fresh, John B and others also from the town) and I now live in Stafford.

Describing my sound is probably the most difficult thing for me to do but I suppose it is raw bass music. I like things to sound dark and atmospheric. It’s difficult as individual words mean different things to different people: not dark as in hammer horror and not raw as in under-produced. I know what influences my sound but it is difficult for me to say how I process this into music. Before I start any major project I do mixtapes of influences as reference points, and some of the references are constant whilst others change.

H: You seem to draw on a wide range of musical influences, particularly the garage offshoots of UK funky and grime: is this something you're conscious of? Or do you view it more as a natural progression from your interest in electronic music?

T: My first love in electronic music was D&B. I learnt to mix with it and it’s the first electronic stuff I wrote but around 2002 I started hearing the post-garage sounds that would evolve to be grime/dubstep and so I put my focus there. The sounds I liked the most were Sublow & Breakstep but by 2005 these were just subsumed by the grime/dubstep tag. Grime rhythms and textures have always been a key influence as I preferred the early grime to early dubstep but by 2005 I was making and playing more dubstep because people like Toasty, SLT Mob and Search & Destroy resonated more with me.

To be honest UK Funky largely passed me by. When it broke I wasn’t really listening to much in the scene outside of what I played on my show & my own music. Although I checked a few tracks it didn’t make a connection with me. It didn’t sound raw enough. I did search and dig but nothing really did it for me at the time. Now I hear DJ Champion, Visionist & Dusk & Blackdown making funky inspired beats and I have more of a connection with the stuff they are doing. I have only really done one track that fits with this, a beat called Tribal, but the Funky crew really picked up on it & it got quite a bit of hype. To be honest I think that beat was probably more influenced by the Mutant Bass crew like Kanji Kinetic, Hadean et al but when influences go through my production filters things get merged.

Really for me underground music was more breakbeat (like Botchit & Scarper/early Freq Nasty) in 1997 followed by D&B and then grime/dubstep by 2002. UKG for me wasn’t an underground thing as it was getting played in every pub and house party in Maidenhead (probably similar to dubstep today) so it just sounded like pop music, I enjoyed it on that level. I had always liked the darker side of underground music so garage only interested me when it got stripped back and raw in 2002. Retrospectively I now know there was an underground subculture in garage (as there currently is with dubstep) but I wasn’t clued in enough to know about it. It’s similar to rave music in 92 or early jungle in 94. I was too young to know about it other than the really popular side.



H: Alongside the likes of Etch, Wen and Visionist there seems to be a strong group of artists coming through who are adapting old school grime sounds in building a new refreshing sound; is this something you'd say you're aware of?

T: Each producer has their own sound but there is a similar vibe across the beats. The biggest parallel I can draw is with dubstep in 2004 when a lot of beats were sonically similar to grime (like Plasticman/Mark One) and also each producer had a very different sound (Vex’d, Search & Destroy, Toasty, DMZ, Skream etc) but there was an indefinable vibe that meant they were linked.

Since 2009 I have been listening to lots & hearing loads of great new hybrid sounds that fit in the UK bass music continuum. At first it was very disparate but now things are beginning to cluster. Every day I’m finding out about artists who fit with what I’m doing whilst approaching it from different angles. Early grime from 2002 to 2004 was the last big crossroads of underground bass music where people were experimenting with post-garage sounds. It makes sense that now at the next big crossroads people are sonically exploring the sounds that went on to form grime/dubstep and exploring paths or ideas that maybe were shut for whatever reason. Some sounds from this era will just become classic ‘dance music’ sounds: the new Amen break; Distorted 808 bass drum; 303 acid bass; 909 snare. I think the Pulse bass is a strong contender for a sound that can be recontextualised and it has appeared in a lot of tunes this year. On the flip I have also heard new tracks using early grime sounds but with nothing new added to them. Lots of tracks also seem to be using Wiley’s snares (another distinctive sound) but they are just straight-sampled. Remember the thing that made the amen break such a cornerstone of D&B was the fact each producer put their mark on the sound, either through processing or rhythmic variations through chopping it up. Dillinja commented on it being used as a barometer for a producer showing how technically gifted they were. There is a fine line between a sound becoming a classic and a sound getting rinsed.

It’s also worth remembering that early grime wasn’t just Wiley & Youngstar. There were people like Oddz, Eastwood, Shimano, Sticky, Donaeo, Jon E Cash etcetera. I think the thing that links the artists you mention and others like Underclass, Bloom, Filter Dread, Epoch, Beneath, Name_Pending, J-One and others is the fact they are taking influence from more than just Wiley & Youngstar. I can hear a Sublow influence in these artists & also stuff like Shimano‘s ‘An Unusual Sound’, but then although it sounds grimey it also has influences from lots of other places all tied together with a similar vibe.

There are lots of producers around at the moment who seem to be influenced by early grime: add Pedro123, Slackk, SameName, Sam Tiba and others to the mix. It is a difficult thing to adequately explain. These artists work alongside Etch & Wen but are different in vibe, maybe to the same subtle extent someone like SLT Mob were classed as dubstep whereas the Virus Syndicate were grime: tiny differences that equate to nothing more than something as potentially small as the use of reverb on a snare drum. You can draw quite a big circle around a lot of artists and say ‘this is grime-influenced new music’ and then you can draw smaller circles within that big circle to say this group have this certain vibe whilst that are more like that. It is the same as what happened with grime/sublow/eski/8bar/dubstep/breakstep. Over time smaller circles merge to form bigger circles.

I suppose the big question is whether it is just grime or actually something new. This can only be answered by the establishment within grime accepting or rejecting the new sounds: if Logan Sama or DJ Cameo played tunes by Etch or Wen then people would just hear it as grime; it is only when the establishment ignores a sound that it can’t be linked with that genre and therefore it has to become something new. It’s like J Da Flex was booked by 1Xtra as a garage DJ when the station launched. He was clued up and started playing early dubstep like Toasty and 1Xtra didn’t like the direction so they cancelled his show. This was quite a stark reminder that the establishment (in this case 1Xtra bosses) didn’t hear dubstep as the future of garage whereas other 1Xtra UKG DJs (like Cameo) were playing grime and didn’t lose their shows, so grime was seen as the continuation of garage.



H: And considering MCs have traditionally played such a large role in grime, do you make beats with a view to them being vocalled or does this not necessarily occur to you?

I’ve always loved MCs on beats. Whether that was Skibba & Shabba tearing up D&B sets or people like Rogue Star & Crazy D in a hosting role on dubstep. Although there are definitely good MCs and bad MCs I have always liked the energy and don’t agree with people who hate on MCs. In clubs I’ve played far more sets without an MC but I always like having someone there providing that extra layer. Rogue Star is my favourite MC for that: his hosting is deep!

When I was working in Preston for a year in 2004-05 I was based at a studio teaching youths how to make beats & DJ and most of my time was spent with the local MCs getting them to spit on my beats. There were some sick MCs there and that year taught me a lot about structuring beats with MCs in mind. When I moved away I simply didn’t have access to MCs so I switched my focus to creating beats that worked as instrumentals with strong melodies & variation & development.

This year is really the first time since 2005 I have thought about vocals, mainly as I have remixed StooShe, Roll Deep’s Discarda (under my Hyperchord alias) and a full vocal track by Tilt & Maria Nayler. It is a different process as the focus is on the vocal and not on the instruments as much. I find it really easy writing to an acapella and am really interested in working with vocals more in the future. I’d love to do a full vocal album with vocalists like Trim, Baby Blue, Gemma Fox, even Angel Haze.

To directly answer your question usually MCs are not really a consideration as MCing has been more of a live thing for me rather than committing bars to record. If I play a track in a club and it doesn’t suit an MC then they can shut up. Having said that, my next EP on UK Trends is 4 tracks that are deliberately minimal and would suit MCs: more grime instrumentals than complex album tracks.

This was a very deliberate thing as my first album, released last year, was written between 2005-10. It has more of a dubstep/breakstep/glitch/orchestral influence but even before the album had been released I was writing new beats that were more rooted in grime. The second album is now pretty much complete but it isn’t straight grime, like Preditah or someone, so I thought that in order for people to understand the music I needed to write some transitional stuff that is more minimal and grassroots so when people here the album material it makes sense as they will have more of an understanding of the process. It’s like when Youngstar wrote ‘Pulse X’ or ‘The Formula’ or Wiley did the original mix of ‘Igloo’ (the version with no beats). It was all about acclimatizing the audience to new forms and then these forms are elaborated on. The same thing happened with dubstep, tracks like ‘Horror Show’ for example. For people to understand half-step they needed tracks like ‘Horror Show’ to strip things back to the core elements. The same thing is happening with the new grime influenced strains (as premiered in this mix). Although naturally technology means production standards are far higher than early grime, there is the same space needed to let new forms breath. So this transitional EP is my attempt to explain the sound of my 2nd album by stripping the sound down to the minimal core elements. Hopefully the album will make more sense as a result.

To bring it back to the original question, these 4 beats are the only ones that have been written with MCs in mind and I have written parts of them around grime acapellas. I would challenge any MC to ride some of my 2nd album tracks and keep their flow though! (laughs) I did put a mix together a few months ago that uses these grime acapellas on the transitional beats so people can make the connection and understand this is an important influence, even if by the time things get on the album the melodies do the talking.



H: Your label UK Trends has been fairly quiet for the last year or so: are there future plans for the label, or is it currently taking more of a back seat to your productions?

T: Since my album came out on UK Trends about a year ago it has been quite quiet, with 2 releases this year and probably 2 more before the end of the year. Ideally I would put out 6-8 records a year. This has partly been down to artists working on EPs for me and not getting them finished yet (Mad EP & Side9000 are both working on releases). I guess before if an artist hadn’t quite finished an EP in time I would just put out some new beats by me but stuff of mine I would have put out was signed by labels like Black Hole & Red Volume and I have another 8 tracks that form my 2nd album so I wanted to hold off on putting them out as 2 EPs.

Things have been developing behind the scenes. I have taken on the supremely-talented Riglow (who runs the Skank The F**k Out blog) to build a new website and run the social media for the label and he has been working really hard on a new site, which looks incredible, and also putting the back catalogue on Youtube and doing other social media black arts (laughs).

When the site is live I am putting out a free compilation album via the site and we have a really strong bunch of tunes to put out. (Although it isn’t really a re-launch as we have released music this year it is kind of a rebirth when the new site goes live.)

H:You've also got a show on Sub.FM: how and when did you first get involved with the station? What can people expect to hear on your show?

T: Well I celebrated my 5 year anniversary on the station this year with a move to the peak time 10pm-12am slot on a Thursday night. I first got involved in 2007 off the back of my first couple of releases. It has been a great opportunity to push my sound and artists I have supported over the years.

I guess the sound has changed over the years, people can judge for themselves as there are archives of mine stretching back to 2007 on the Sub FM site. At the moment I am playing quite a large range of stuff in keeping with the fact underground music is at such an exciting, transitional phase. I am playing a lot of the sort of deeper, darker grime influenced stuff (similar to the mix I‘ve recorded for you) but also more hype stuff like my alias Hyperchord, Lenkemz, Mak & Pasteman, The Mutant Bass crew and some straight grime. I’ve also delved into the 160 realms especially supporting people like Sarantis & Warlock. I’m really feeling some of the grime influenced 160 stuff.

Really the radio show matches what I play in club sets, there is a lot of variety whilst still having grime undercurrents. The show is 2 hours so there is enough time to let the sets go places and create different moods.



H: Take us through how you went about approaching the mix you've put together for us.

T: This mix purposefully is a small band of producers that I think are working within a similar vibe. Although each producer sounds different you can hear similar elements: swung garage hi-hats; reverb drenched sounds; footwork-inspired vocals but spat by grime MCs rather than US rappers; early dubstep’s sense of space and bass; jungle pads; the staccato, vanguard rhythms of grime. These are the elements that contribute to the vibe and sense of continuity across the productions.

There are hard-hitting moments like the beats by Underclass (in particular his 3rd drops!), and deeper moments like Etch & J-One with ‘Sounds’.  I have also thrown in a couple of classic vinyls to try and highlight some of the sounds I think work as reference points of influence. The Loefah track is one from before he went completely half-step and I think is an interesting track because it shows Loefah’s influences before his sound got more defined. You can hear the tribal beats and sub bass and there is a definite jungle influence to the track. The Jon E Cash track is probably my favourite from the early grime. It stands up in the mix to beats today (that a lot of early grime doesn’t due to production values and texture) and has great development in the bass and melodies.

It is interesting that both those beats were released in 2004. I think this current new strain takes a lot of influence from 2004 when words like 8-bar, sublow, breakstep and eski were interchangeable with grime and dubstep. Really 2004 was the last exciting time for the underground in terms of immense creativity with regards to new directions and forms so I suppose it’s natural that a lot of the new sounds now are influenced by that last crossroads before things became more formulated into the overall terms of grime and dubstep that subsumed the rest. Obviously now there are other influences but it is really interesting to see paths that were shut (such as sublow) being given new life through the filters of producers today.

H: Finally, are there any forthcomings or anything in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out on?

T: Well next up is the EP on UK Trends with the more minimal new forms as the transition for my album that is coming out early next year. I have written 90% of the tracks, it will probably also come out on UK Trends unless I get an offer I can’t refuse. Also watch out for the new UK Trends site and free compilation in the next week or so on www.uktrendsmusic.co.uk

Finally, I have been taking a bit of time off DJing following my first album and its tour, mainly as I have a been busy in the studio working on the new album and I also wanted to create a bit of distance between the first album and where I am now sonically. However I’m now itching to get back in the clubs and I’m putting together dates now in the lead up to the album and also a tour to support its release. If you want to book me you can email me directly at threnody@threnody.co.uk and hit me up here if you have any music you want me to hear as well.




Download: Threnody - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix



Tracklist:


Etch – Right Foot FWD [Dub]
Epoch – The Steppenwolf [Dub]
Name_Pending – Mindf__k [Dub]
Underclass – Ecko [Dub]
Wen – Walk Tha Walk [Dub]
Wen & Epoch – Hydraulics (Epoch Bass Mix feat. Joshua Idehen) [Egyptian Avenue Dub]
Wen & Epoch – Hydraulics [Egyptian Avenue Dub]
Underclass – Klang [Dub]
Threnody – Subminimal [Dub]
Blackdown & Dusk – High Road [Keysound]
Etch & J-One – Sounds [Dub]
Underclass – Banana Boat [Dub]
Loefah - Bombay Squad [Rephlex]
Side9000 – THX Riddim [Dub]
Threnody – Synchronic [Dub]
Wen – Swingin' [Dub]
Jon E Cash – Spanish [Black Ops]
Etch – See Me On The Road [Dub]
Threnody – Depth [Dub]

Threnody - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

Preacha.

Hit&Run 6th Birthday @ FAC251, Manchester

It's not often that a clubnight reaches its sixth birthday, less so a clubnight which has been running weekly and on Monday nights; such is the staying power of Manchester stalwart Hit&Run. Whilst the name may have changed over the years, and the venues too, the core concerns of quality music and sound have remained an unerring constant. What's more, is that a ticket will rarely set you back more than the price of a box of cigarettes.

So celebrating in the same vein, the 6th Birthday offers a stellar lineup for a mere 6 (no coincidence there) pounds: Zed Bias, Fallacy and Rodney P combining under the Sleepin' Giants moniker; dBridge and Marcus Intalex going back-to-back for an extended three hour set; and Om Unit and Kahn will both be demonstrating why they're considered to be among the most original and exciting artists working in electronic music at the moment. Support comes from the inimitable Hit&Run residents, who know better than most how to throw a party.

For more information on the event, including how to purchase cheaper advance tickets, head over the event page here or buy your tickets direct from Skiddle here.


Preacha.

Competition: Win tickets to see Riz MC, dBridge, Zed Bias, Biome and more at Hit&Run @ Corsica Studios, London.

After five years of legendary parties in Manchester, which have hosted many of today's biggest hitters' debut appearances in the rainy city, and a room 3 takeover at Fabric, the Youngsta- and Mala-certified Hit&Run crew are taking charge of Corsica Studios for their first solo venture in the capital. Headlining duties on the night will be taken on by three long-time friends and associates of the night, each bringing their own original styles to the dance: Riz MC - a familiar face from cult films such as Four Lions and, more recently, Ill Manors - with his fuming social commentaries; Exit Records boss, pioneering minimal drum & bass producer, and insistent boundary-pusher, dBridge; and UK garage don, cum-dubstep 'inventor', cum-Swamp 81 protege Zed Bias.

To add to this, the night will be hosting something of a showcase of Manchester talent; as a night known for a breaking rising talent, it seems fitting that Hit&Run should bring with them Skittles, Biome and Chimpo: three artists who have all been making major waves over the last year, and who all cut their performing teeth at Hit&Run. For more information on the night simply head over here, to the Facebook event page.

For the chance to win a pair of guestlist tickets to see all of this, and for a taste of that inimitable Hit&Run style, simply send your answer to the following question to hedmuk@gmail.com with the subject 'Hit&Run Competition', and your full name for the guestlist:

What is the catalogue number for Zed Bias's 'Stubborn Phase EP', released on Swamp 81 in December of last year?

The competition will close on July 5th, on which date a winner will be chosen by an independent third party and both announced on the Hedmuk Facebook Page and informed via email.

.Preacha.

Featuring: Seven

One of the most consistent DJ/Producers in dubstep today, Seven emerged from success in the drum & bass scene to quickly establish himself at the 140bpm spectrum with his tight, inimitably heavy productions, ranging from eyes-down rollers to dancefloor bangers, and his largely-unrivalled skills behind the decks which have seen him booked across the continents. Already boasting an impressive back catalogue, releasing on well respected labels including Tempa, Wheel & Deal, Subway and Aquatic Lab, he is set this year to release his debut LP on Black Box records; we caught up with him to talk about this latest project aswell as his long-running career in music production and DJing and got him to lay down the latest mix in our exclusive series.

Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where do you come from and how would you describe your sound?

Seven: Hi, I'm Seven, I come from London, UK and I make various forms of dubstep, covering a whole spectrum of styles accumulating to what people refer to as my signature sound.

H: Would you say that you're from a musical background, or is it something that you've picked up yourself?

S: As a kid I was totally in love with music. I had a very musical upbringing, but i never took to playing an instrument: I was more seduced by turntables and mixing. I guess that stemmed from being my dad's son, he had a huge record collection and loved keeping up with hi-fi technology, which it turn intrigued me too. He was into soul, Motown, jazz and everything else from there and in-between; so he was my first huge influence and he completely supported my interests and when I was nine he got some turntables, and so began my journey into mixing.

My sister also played a huge influence in the kind of music that I became attracted to and was enjoying mixing at home. She would often buy me records she'd heard in clubs and at raves she went to. So I had a good tune scout showing me what was working in the clubs and I was also loving what I was hearing on pirate radio stations that she showed me all about. It was all a good introduction to underground dance music culture from an early age.

The production side of things came later. It was largely due to the influence of my new friends who were producing music and deejaying in clubs: they showed me that there were other avenues to what I was already doing. So, at around the age of 14, almost 15, I made a 3 track EP under the alias DJ Reflex. I hired the studio time and the engineer to push the buttons for me and produce my ideas. The EP got signed, released and sold a modest amount of units, it was a great starting point and a huge achievement for me too. I was totally intrigued by the whole experience and was convinced I could make a future for myself [in music] by dedicating my life to it. So I started to save up money for studio equipment. It took me years to get a full outboard studio set up, there was no software studio process back then, unless you had a huge, expensive Pro Tools setup. It took a lot of trial and error too, because I didn't go to music production school to learn how to do things I just kind of found my own way. Feels like so long ago now; for almost a decade I have been consistently releasing music to the public and all on vinyl too, which I am very proud of. And the journey continues...



H: On top of your productions, you're well known as one of the tightest DJs in dubstep: is this something you consider to be important? Do you think of yourself primarily as a producer or a DJ, or a balance of both?

S: I guess I consider myself a DJ before a producer: it came first and the production followed. But saying that, I couldn't do one and not the other, so I have a good balance of both. There is a time and place for each of them and when you get them to work in unison, things flow and work well.

I think tight mixing and good DJ skills are essential: there are a lot of people out there playing sets that are not DJs, they are just producers playing CDs aided by technology. If you took CDJs out of clubs and everyone had to use vinyl, a lot of them wouldn't be able to keep the music in time or mix properly.

H: What was it that made you decided to switch your focus from making drum & bass to dubstep? Do you still make tunes at 170bpm, or is it something you've largely left behind now?

S: DJ Youngsta is a close friend, he constantly asked me to make a track for him to play out. Knowing I was quite an established producer I guess he could tell I would come up with something pretty good, so kept at me until I made a track for him. It was at this point I realised how D&B had become very formulaic for me: I was know for a certain style and was pigeon-holed into it. It was more of a production line than a pleasure. But I soon found dubstep to be inspiring and fun, I was enjoying the creative freedom it gave me and the ways I could express myself without worrying about sticking to boundaries and rules. I then started making more dubstep than D&B until eventually i was too busy with my dubstep productions to keep up with any D&B happenings. So, I changed my alias and decided on the name Seven: my lucky number.



H: Last year's 'Dubstep Dubplates' compilation presented an interesting combination of your work as both a producer and selector, how did the idea come about and are there plans for more releases of this type?

S: The idea was born from a company called Live Beyond, they asked me to compile a CD of tracks made by both up-and-coming and already-established producers. It represented a spectrum of music I felt would be received well by dubstep fans and new listeners alike. The project also focused on breaking new artists into the scene and helping them to establish their careers. It brought people like Lurka and Crushington into the public eye and also made possible the release of much sought after tracks by Benny Page.

There is talk of a second volume, but that's about as much as I know right now. I'll keep you guys updated though.

H:You've got an album forthcoming on Blackbox this year; how did you go about selecting tunes for the release and what can people expect from the album? Did you see an album project as an opportunity to depart from the sort of beats you would usually make, by incorporating vocals or aiming to build tunes not directly aimed at a big rig and a dancefloor for instance?

S: I made a lot of tunes for the album. I had like this natural selection process going on the whole time I was making them though, I had to literally stop my self making tunes in the end because the album was never going to be finished if I didn't. I just kept producing more and more tunes that I wanted to include on there and faced dilemmas about what I was going to take off to accommodate the new tracks which would replace them. All that said though, I am very happy with the chosen tracklist.

People can expect each tune to be individual, but with my signature stamped all over them. I haven't tried to steer away from what I am known for, instead I just pushed myself even harder to make better music. I have tried to accommodate everyone's tastes though, be it deep and minimal or dancefloor smashers. It's a definitive collection of my music and I feel I put my heart and soul into every track. My single releases vary so much from track to track it was a task to try and incorporate all of what I think people are expecting from it into just 12 or maybe 13 tracks. I have included some vocals tracks on there too. Vocals by Alys B on both tracks compliment the album perfectly.

I tried to make the album accessible to all: something DJs can play and also something people can listen to on their iPods. If you sit back with your headphones on and shut your eyes, each track has the potential to then take you on a musical journey in the mind.

H: Can you tell us a bit about the thought process behind the mix you've put together for us?

S: I have done a few podcasts and webcam studio mixes recently and mainly played a lot of deeper stuff. So, in this mix I wanted to show some more of the jump up dubstep that I like to play too. At points this mix is quite upbeat, as well as deep and dark: I showcase some of the harder edged and techy tracks from my album too and a lot of tracks by other artists who I think are on fire right now. I hope everyone enjoys it.

H: Finally, have you got any forthcoming releases or anything else in the pipeline that you want to put the word out on?

S: Well, I just did a mix CD for a big clothing label (can't reveal the name) that is to be announced soon and given out with all of their online orders: that's been such a huge opportunity for me right now. It showcases nothing but Black Box tunes, both released and brand new unreleased tracks by artists on the label including myself.

In response to forthcoming releases, I have nothing else planned apart from the album right now. It's been the main focus for the last 18 months; I do have some really solid tracks left over that I might sign if I can or maybe even give away for free. Needless to say, you guys will know all about that if I do.


Download: Seven - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix

Seven - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

Tracklist:

Dub Phizix & Skeptical - Marka (feat. Strategy) [Exit]
Digital - Deadline (DJ Madd Rave-Alarm Refix) [Dub]

Benny Page & Zero G - Raggamuffin (feat. Tenor Fly) [High Culture]

Crushington - Chug [Dub]
Seven - Wait VIP [Forthcoming Black Box]
Seven - Stormz Over Marz [Forthcoming Black Box]
Seven - Siren VIP [Tempa]
Kutz - The Volt [Dub]
Skream - Darkin It [Free]
Seven - Bounce To This [Forthcoming Black Box]
>>>Skream - Filth [Tempa]
J:Kenzo - Engage [Dub]
Seven - Twilight Horizons [Forthcoming Black Box]
J:Kenzo - The Roteks VIP [Dub]
DJ Madd & TMSV - Difference (J:Kenzo Remix) [Black Box]
Soap Dodgers - Ill Minded [Dub]
LX One - Losing Control [Dub]
Biome - Raven [Dub]
DJ Madd - The Real And The Shadow [Forthcoming Black Box]
Skream - The Shinein [Deep Medi Musik]


.Preacha.