Animai's jazz tones will already be familiar to some, having recently graced Wayfarer's anthemic 'Reflections', and the east London vocalist furthers her stake on this, the latest release on DJ Crises' MindStep Music imprint. Vaun applies a characteristic light touch to the beat, with a delicate piano line falling over subs and pert kicks, and leaves the vocal the room it demands. To call this release long-awaited would be an understatement, having done the rounds and raised crowds for the best part of 2013, but when Crises got in touch to let us know that the release was coming and that they'd been shooting the label's first video for it too, the wait seemed worth it: time is a commodity well spent by MindStep, and a dedication to the details is what has always kept them at the head of their game. The video is now available to view in full above, or over on the Hedmuk YouTube channel.
The full release is rounded off by an acid-tinged remix from Simbad, an intricate medley of percussion and mids from Wayfarer, and a rolling, downtempo zoner from Sam KDC, with each producer taking their own unique approach to the vocal. The results exemplify the strength in depth of feeling that MindStep, since our very earliest contact with the label, has always been about.
With our first feature for 2012 we introduce Pistonsbeneath, a name that has quietly been doing the rounds on the underground circuit for some time now and one associated with an uncompromising approach to quality bass music. The duo, fronted by Jon Burl, have quietly been building a wide-ranging repertoire of sub-driven beats and are set to unleash seven of them in the next week on the '24th Century EP' via the ever-impressive MindStep Music imprint. Focusing on an effective use of space, interesting sampling and big, lurking basslines, Pistonsbeneath provide a refreshing rework of the original elements of the now-inescapably-global dubstep sound that includes, perhaps most importantly, the wealth of variation that that original sound template was open to. We caught up with Jon for an interview and he's also put together an epic mix to mark the 30th exclusive mix in our series, and the first of the new year.
Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where do you hail from and how would you describe your sound?
Pistonsbeneath: I'm Jon, I'm from the Croydon area and I'd describe Pistonsbeneath tunes as atmospheric, sub-driven, sci-fi horror.
H: How long have you been producing for, and is Pistonsbeneath your first venture into making music?
P: I make the tunes with a friend of mine, we have setups at both of our places. We've both been messing around with music independently since we were young, but we started making a few tunes around 2005/6 when I showed him dubstep. We've been getting a bit more serious over the last 18 months, trying to bring the production up to par and were going to start sticking out some tunes under my alias Pistonsbeneath, sort of the way Goldie and Rob Playford worked: he just likes to sit at the computer making the beats with me and doesn't like to be on the radar, while I'm more the public face and the DJ. Obviously there's the MindStep '24th Century EP' and some of the tunes you're going to be hearing at first we made a long time ago, but we've got a lot of new tunes in the pipeline and hopefully we'll be getting some of them out in the second half of 2012.
H: Many will know you as the man behind the now-defunct DubKulture night at the Black Sheep Bar, can you enlighten us as to the reasons behind the night's sudden demise? And do you plan to be running anything similar again in the near future?
DubKulture was great and I made so many fantastic links through it, so I'm not going to try and say I regret it at all: without it, who knows where I'd be. The man that called me up to do it was Gavin, and he had a lot more input at that point, if not for Gavin it would not have happened. It was just to do a cover set as there was nothing on that Wednesday and over 100 people walked in expecting to hear 'Sierra Leone', Dr. P and Borgore and I played DMZ, Vex'd and Distance to them (laughs). They all wanted more though, and not necessarily because of the fact that on that night there was a powercut at 11.
In the beginning it was busy and the Sheep were pushing the event and people came and we got between 100 and 150 people on a Wednesday night in Croydon. It had busier nights than that later, and some huge names played for me that were local. They would say the event ran out of steam but I would argue they didn't want to do anything to promote it given i was running/residenting their night for them. So of course it died a death, I dont think they wanted it there in the end especially given my lack of willingness to compromise to the extent they wanted.
H: Your debut release, the '24th Century EP', is about to drop on MindStep; how did you get involved with the label, and what was the process behind selecting the tracks for your first appearance on the label?
P: I got involved having had Syte play at DubKulture a few times (my favourite DJ technically to watch, and so underrated) and had him crash at my gaff as he lives like a million miles outside London and we got chatting and I showed him some tunes. We had some good chats over greasy spoon brekkies too. I knew Crises already as well, as he'd played DubKulture a couple of times for me and he had 'Unspeakable' a while back and repped it.
The track selection came about from a combination of the three of us and we were initially gonna do a 5-tracker but just weren't willing to let any of those 7 go in the end. There were a lot more tracks than that in the pool at one point, but it got to a point where it had to be those 7. Crises decided the final running order as I had no huge preference.
H: You have, in the past, been quite vocal about some of the divisions within dubstep: is this something you continue to feel strongly about, and do you see some vindication in the recent return to prominence of the sound's original components of bass and space?
P: To be honest, I don't feel that strongly about it these days: people like what they're going to like and there's nothing you can do to prove to someone one tune is better than another as it's so subjective. Most people these days under a certain age are happy listening to YouTube downloaded files, so God knows. It's great that everyone's kind of back on it, it was always on the cards really though. I do feel a load of people had just had enough and willed it to happen.
To an extent it's all an illusion anyway, and you go to a club in a run of the mill city centre a la Croydon and you will find nobody wants to party in the 'dungeon'. They just want the usual suspects regardless, and Youngsta's show hasn't hugely impacted on their lives the way it has to so many new people of late. Of course there is more longevity in this real shit and people are actually willing to pay for it and not just torrent it, but there will always be those people that don't want it and just want to brock out to Nero and Pendulum. One group that've really surprised me and have been sending me the best produced tracks of late are Mt. Eden...
H: You've done something pretty interesting with your mix for us: take us through how you went about putting it all together.
Oh God, where to start? Well some people might remember my older mixes like 'I Love Bassick' (named after the Bassick nights I put on in 2007-2008 in Croydon) and the last one before 'Sound of Gemini' that had loads of tunes mashed together with no edge, well this is a far better realised version of that with cuts, teases, extreme militant EQ-ing and rephrasing tunes where necessary: it's a mix to end all mixes. The mix is treated the same as a tune using Ableton Live, a collage has been built, woven together and comprising of dubs I've been sent and the true sound classics and a few random tunes thrown in. Please note it's not just a 'dungeon' mix, or a tearout mix, or a pad oriented lush atmospheric workout but it covers tons of ground and never leaves you wanting...if I may say so myself.
H: Finally, have you got any forthcomings or upcoming gigs that you'd like to put the word out about?
P: The '24th Century EP' is released 24/1/12 on MindStep, you can preorder it before this date from all good online retailers and there are ultra-limited CDs that are going fast direct from the MindStep website too. Big up Crises and Syte.
I am playing at 'Mind The Dubstep' at Brixton Jamm on February the 18th with a pretty sick lineup and am back on GetDarker on the 21st of February. Attend either and you will hear a certain VIP of mine that currently is in the hands of only 4 people.
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!
A duo who have quietly been building up a lot of support over the last half a year or so, My Nu Leng first came to our attention with the lurching 'Fireflies' as a standout track on Dr. Hugo's Exclusive Mix for us last May and since then have been impossible to pin down as they continually bring something fresh to the table with their beats. Switching with ease between a range of styles around the 130-140bpm mark, and with crisp production to boot, a strong garage influence underpins their sound without leading them down the (admittedly occasionally inviting) path of so many Burial-soundalikes. With a weekly show on Rood FM and close ties with Crises and MindStep Music, it seems that the My Nu Leng have built themselves a solid platform from which to take on 2012; we spoke to the pair about their approach to making tunes and got them to add the latest instalment to our mix series.
Hedmuk: As an introduction for those who may not know yet, what's your name, where are you from and how would you describe your sound?
James / Tommy: We are My Nu Leng and are a duo consisting of James Irving (Jammo) from Bristol and Tommy Jackson from London.
We like to write music covering a large spectrum of genres and styles, from garage to funky and from down-tempo to dubstep! Usually always fitting somewhere within the 130-140 BPM range. Our influences have worked well together and the more music we are making, the more we feel we are honing in on a particular sound.
H: How do you find producing as a duo, particularly considering the physical distance between yourselves?
J: We have managed to find a nice balance considering the distance at times but it can vary for each track. Before writing as a duo we both worked on our own individual music - to have another set of ears and eyes when it comes to production has really helped us strive to create music that (we hope!) is a little bit different, not sticking to certain barriers producers may be accustomed to in certain genres.
T: I personally prefer it, we only started making tunes together a short while before Jammo left the area for Uni, during which time we had sat down & made just a few tracks together. It works well in that one of us can work on something pretty much until hitting a block, then send the file to the other to have a crack at. It pretty much goes back & forth & changes the whole time until we're happy with what we've got.
H: Your beats take in a diverse range of sounds and styles including garage, uk funky, bassline and dubstep; is this something you have always set out to do or has it occurred more naturally?
J: It has definitely happened as a natural progression the more we produce together. The diversity of music we both listen to has always helped but the more new music we show each other, the more we seem to get blown away by the talent out there! And I think it is then about just striving to get even remotely near that level of production: one day!
T: Yeah definitely naturally, I know that when I've sat down with the idea of starting something of a certain style, it's always ended up completely different; for instance 'Fireflies' was originally a nice little garage-y number before Jammo put the b-line in it and it completely changed the tune! Between us we pretty much listen to anything, which I know is a bold statement & probably overused, but for example my missus' favourite kinds of music are people like Dean Martin, Edith Piaf, the blues etc. so that's always on in the gaff: it means there's always a different kind of idea there, it's just being able to get our ideas down, which we can't always do but that will come with time & learning, which we are still constantly doing.
H: There is a strong garage influence throughout your tunes; who are some of the artists that you draw inspiration from? Where, or from who, else do you take influence from when building beats?
J: We've both been pretty much obsessed with Burial & have been for years now. We put together our 'All Burial Mix' quite some time ago just for ourselves at the time, just so we would be able to listen to all of our favourite bits in one mix: we still love it just because it's a perfect collection of music!
T: Other artists include heads like Sully, Jamie xx, Phaeleh, Scuba, Dark Sky, Eleven8 etc., as well as a lot of old (proper) hip hop, drum & bass, grime & old school garage.
J: I also feel we've definitely got a lot inspiration from the other guys in the scene at the moment. There's a really strong community at the moment where a lot of people are doing big things & all seem to be kind of coming up together, everyone is pushing their own sound & doing it really well which just pushes us harder to be more productive. Guys like Versa & Rowl and the whole ICU lot, Percept, Anex, Majora (Bandicoot) are smashing it.
T: Mixing-wise, I'd rate Solitude & Oneman who, although are both at completely opposite ends of the spectrum, are both at the top of their game in what they do & always leave me feeling a little bit mind-blown (laughs)!
H: You recently released your debut EP (the 'Fireflies EP') through MindStep Music; how did this come about?
T & J: The release came about after one of our good mates Syte introduced us to Crises. We had put out a couple of free downloads & been sending stuff out for a bit, and we'd had a couple of responses, but MindStep just seemed like the perfect label to put out our first release on.
H: Tell us a little about how you went about putting together the mix you've done for us.
T: It's pretty much a collection of some of our favourite music & artists at the moment, as well as a chance to put out a few of our unheard tracks.
I basically made a playlist in my Serato a while ago & have been adding my favourite pieces of music for a while, then it was just a matter of having a couple of practice mixes to get a rough order & record it! There are a fair few Leng tunes in there, a couple of which, like 'Fireflies VIP', that pretty much no one has heard yet & 'Saviours' which is the first actual track we made together (laughs)!
Anyone who has heard our radio show on Rood FM (Saturday's 4-6) knows that we cover most genres within the show & it's always pretty fast-paced. I thought it was important to cover the majority of styles which we actually play out or on the radio so that people who have only heard a few of our tracks know what we cover!
H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out on?
J: We have an EP forthcoming on Mindstep Music featuring 'Fireflies VIP' and 3 remixes of 'Fireflies' from Crises, Wonder and Tunnidge! We are just finalising our first vinyl release, which we are very excited about, and have remixes coming from J-One, Versa & Rowl and Demon as well as a few remix projects ourselves!
T: Deejaying-wise, we are residents at 51 27 at the Thekla in Bristol which is a new exciting night to be involved with, so big shout to the 51 27 lot and Thekla heads! Please check out our Facebook page for our full listings, we have quite a busy end to the year!
My Nu Leng - Time Goes By [dub] Versa - Shadow Movement [dub] DJ Rum - Turiya [2nd Drop] J-One - Work it Out [dub] Eleven8 - Motions [dub] My Nu Leng - Untitled [dub] J-One - Deep Down [dub] Throwing Snow - Shadower [Sneaker Social Club] MJ Cole - Hawaii [Prolific] Braille - A Meaning [Hotflush] Sorrow - Reminiscence (Troy Gunner Remix) [dub] Dark Sky - Leave [Ninja Tune] XXXY - Ordinary Things [Ten Thousand Yen] Majora - Questionable Logic [dub] >>> Brandy - Never Say Never (Acca.) [Atlantic] Champion - Lighter VIP [Formula] Sunship - In the Pocket [Filter] Mosca - Bax [Numbers] Pusherman - Shake It Off [dub] My Nu Leng - Damp [dub] Deadboy - Here 4 U [Numbers] Hugo - Out of Breath [dub] Gang Colours - Dance Around the Subject (Pedestrian Remix) [Brownswood] Sully - Let U Know [Keysound] My Nu Leng - Fireflies VIP [dub] Burial - Versus [Hyperdub] Anex - Counter It [dub] Wonder - What Have You Done (Inst.) [Newera) Digital Mystikz - Lost City [DMZ] Kaiju - Snake Spirit [dub] Versa & Rowl - Full Moon [dub] Content - Forewarned [dub] Perverse - Cerberus [dub] Percept - Corrupt [dub] My Nu Leng - Consume [dub] My Nu Leng - Norma Jean [dub] My Nu Leng - Saviours [dub]
A somewhat typical Truth production, with heavy kicks and an ample dose of interchanging mid-range frequencies and echoing samples, this is destined to break up rooms of half-step moodiness this summer with a sense of controlled aggression similar to that harnessed by the likes of Tunnidge or Distance.
Karma is a rising talent we've had our eye on for a while here at Hedmuk as he brings something genuinely unique to the table in terms of his production. With a background in making hip-hop beats and drawing influence from a wide spectrum of bass-led music, Karma blends laid-back melodies with carefully constructed, weighty basslines and tight rhythms to make music equally at home in headphones as on a big club system. We caught up with him for an interview to discuss all of this, aswell as his recent move in signing to MindStep Music and got him to put down a mix for our ever-expanding series.
Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where are you from and how would you describe your sound? K: Hi, I'm Corin (AKA Karma), and im from Penge, South-East London. I would describe my sound as sub-heavy bass music ranging between 130-150Bpm. I try to make captivating music, which could go off in a club, or be listened to at home.
H: Are you from a musical background, or is it something that you have picked up yourself? K: Fairly, I've always been fascinated by music from a young age and I've been playing the drums for about 8 years now. My granddad worked for UNESCO back in the day, recording tribal music around the world, and he left me a huge archive of records he recorded which I've made much use of in my music since.
H: Where, or from whom, do you take your influence when it comes to making a tune? K: Alot from Dub/Reggae, which was sort of my gateway into Dubstep at first, but also Jungle, and 90's Hip-Hop. The thing is, I find inspiration comes from everywhere, not just music. It can come from the city I live in, the places I go, people I meet, even the colour of the sky!
H: Does being from London, the city responsible for such an influence on the dubstep sound, bear a particular significance to you in terms of the music you make? K: Most definitely. London is without a doubt the central hub for almost all genres of dance music which have influenced and helped create what Dubstep is today, from Acid House, to Jungle, to Garage. London therefore has that atmosphere/energy to it. I admire the evolution and roots of these genres, which I try to incorporate into my music, so that whatever you're into you can find that little hint of Jungle or Garage, or whatever may suit you.
H: You've recently signed to MindStep Music: how did that come about? K: Well, I'd been making music for roughly 5 years and was getting really frustrated just sitting on tracks, so I started sending them out to people. It was hard getting noticed at first, Crises was one of the first DJs who took an interest. I then bumped into him down at FWD>> one time, and we got chatting about where we could go from there. I kept sending him tunes after that, and well.. here we are now!
H: You make a wide variety of beats, taking in hip hop and some grime: is this something that comes naturally? Do you plan to work with vocal artists in the future at all?
K: I used to make Hip-Hop before, so have worked with quite a few vocalists/MCs in the past. At this stage, with the music I'm making, and pushing, I'd like to keep things instrumental but I do have plans and ideas for the near future to work with vocalists, but not just yet.
H: Tell us a little about how you went about putting together the mix you've done for us. K: The mix I've recorded is sort of a showcase of my interpretation of the sound. Plenty of dubs from myself and a few other artists who I feel are pushing a similar sound, and have a similar perception of the genre.
H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out on?
K: I have a forthcoming EP on Mindstep. No dates yet, but keep a look out!
Peace, and thanks for all the support: one love!
MindStep Music and the man behind it, Rinse FM's DJ Crises, are playing an important part in the ever-developing world of underground UK bass music. Having represented the deeper, more soulful dubstep sound for almost a year at the bi-monthly MindStep events, the launch of a new label serves to continue this positive movement into a new arena. With a focus on progression and the promotion of new talent alongside the more established pioneers of the sound, MindStep takes on a collective image which is pushing fresh music not only through events and radio, but now also through its format as a label. We spoke to Crises to get his take on the mission of MindStep and what it represents, as well as to find out what plans there are for the future; and he in turn contributed a new exclusive mix to add to our series, which features forthcoming material alongside a choice selection of released tunes which form the 'Sunshine in his Bag'.
Hedmuk: As an introduction, what's your name, where are you from and what is MindStep all about?
Crises / Mindstep: Easy Hedmuk crew, happy today to you (laughs). I go by the name of Crises and was born in the early eighties, raised in London, UK and grew up listening to Oldskool Garage and Reggae Dub.
As a DJ, Radio Presenter, Promoter, Producer and Label Owner I’m now proud to be involved in the underground Dubstep scene. I've been hosting my own show, “Sunshine ina Bag”, on Rinse FM 106.8 http://www.rinse.fm/crises for almost four years and have found great pleasure in interacting with like-minded listeners.
Over two years ago I started MindStep as an event in order to create a night that focuses solely on the deeper, more thoughtful spectrums of our electronic sound. The main objective is to push fresh and up-and-coming artists as well as the more established DJs, who I respect and look up to.
The development of the label, MindStep Music, came about organically as we realized there was a growing international interest in our activities. As most of the residents are producers and dominate the 'Sunshine in my Bag', the label’s music policy reflects that of the night as well as my weekly show on Rinse FM. The label enables the MindStep sounds, and its artists, to be more accessible to the keen listener.
H: MindStep seems to have a collective/community aspect to it aswell as being a label, is this something that you consider important in the running of a label?
C / M: Well, I would say MindStep Music represents a movement of individual, creative m.i.n.d.s that come from similar perspectives and share the same bass-values. This is why there is a natural, un-meditated, collective feel about the label. The community aspect has forever existed within the underground, which in my opinion has always shown a feisty attitude towards the mainstream. To me this seems to be one of many driving forces behind the creation of new and exciting sounds/genres.
As MindStep mainly focuses on fresh talent, I feel the raw passion and drive from artists and the mutual appreciation for deep sounds, has un-consciously drawn everyone together. As well as the community aspect, I strongly believe that it is important to acknowledge the individual contributions, which spur on and inspire MindStep activities.
H: The tracks you selected for the label's first release, 'The Compilation', struck a careful balance between tunes made to be played in a dance and tunes made for listening at home; is this a conscious part of choosing which beats you want to release?
Like all things in life, I feel it’s important to always seek a balance. I don’t think the choice of tunes on ‘The Compilation’ was necessarily a direct, conscious decision, but we did want to take the listener on a journey of some sort. In turn reflecting our and many others' listening experiences and pleasures. Valuing the opinions of people whom I work with closely, as well as the listeners of my “Sunshine ina Bag” show, I am able to get honest feedback on tunes/dubs which both influences and confirm our label’s decisions.
All the tracks on ‘The Compilation’ are ideal for live DJ sets and are also perfect for the easy, casual-listener as I have recorded a bonus mixed version for the Walkman, erm, I mean the iPod...(laughs).
H: Are there plans for physical releases to follow the digital compilation? How important do you think it is that labels continue to release on vinyl?
C / M: Having grown up collecting and spending every bit of ‘pocket money’ on vinyl throughout the Oldskool UK Garage era, I fully overstand and appreciate the deep, emotional and collectable dimensions we have with a vinyl release, as well as the technical benefits. So there are definitely plans for vinyl releases from MindStep Music in the future.
Once a label releases a vinyl, I think it is crucial for that label to continue doing so, just as it is important for DJs to receive physical promo to represent that vinyl when playing out. There may be many reasons why record labels stop producing vinyl. So as a start up label, I think it’s essential to consider the financial costs: their benefits and implications on the growing potential of not only the label but also the health of the underground scene. With regards to sales, I think it’s unfair to expect consumers to always purchase physical releases if the DJ is constantly playing from CD when in direct interface with them.
In relation to MindStep Music, we aim to obtain a balance between the possible formats we produce: we maintain a practical and creative approach to dynamically cater for the needs and demands of our important listeners and artists alike.
H: The label launch party boasted an impressive line-up of both new and established talent, do you plan to continue running events in the future?
C / M: Without out a doubt MindStep nights have had, and will continue to create, line-ups that help bridge a gap between the new and more established pioneering artists.
When considering booking a headliner, so to speak, as I mentioned earlier I am keen to book the more established DJs who I respect and look up to. With the likes of Cyrus, Tunnidge, J:Kenzo and Quest, as well as hosts LX One, Rod Azlan and Crazy D making guest appearances and showing their support, I am confident that the night will continue to attract the like-minded, and provide the deep and positive vibes.
We have been running as a bi-monthly event for the good part of a year now. We are currently considering a new venue in order to get the right sound system that compliments the lower level frequencies we push. Look out for more information on our summer events on our website at www.mindstepmusic.com.
H: You also have a show on Rinse FM and, alongside Youngsta and Distance for instance, are one of the few people on the station still pushing the deeper, more minimal end of the 140BPM spectrum: what's your take on the rise of 'jump-up' styles and the more recent resurgent of what's been referred to as the 'dungeon sound'?
C / M: Music is art and art is perspective. I am fully aware that my opinions on music are opinions and are not facts. I believe it is vital for all sounds to exist in order to appreciate a difference in their styles. However, I 100% prefer the deep bass-driven, more minimal end of not only the 140BPM, but other spectrums as well.
With regards to the rise of ‘jump-up’ styles, I personally think it is inevitable for such trends to exist, especially when considering the fact that it is essentially ‘dance music’. People naturally want to go out and party, let their hair down and so forth...and when trends reach the attention of mainstream bosses, it’s time for the devout underground artists to retreat and develop new sounds, and/or retain the original styles they prefer. I hear a lot of people complaining about this ‘jump up’ style but I think that instead of focusing on what we don’t like, we should channel our attention and energies on what we do like; get me? It would be extremely selfish to think only the styles you prefer should exist.
So to touch upon the recent resurgence of what’s now referred to as the 'dungeon sound': I love it! 'Nuff said.
H: Can it be difficult balancing commitments as a DJ, promoter, producer and label owner? Which do you view yourself most strongly as?
C / M: Maintaining my musical commitment is the easy part but yes, dividing my time between each specific aspect can be difficult. Due to the time required in maintaining my DJ sets, the MindStep events, my production and the MindStep Music label, there are many sleepless nights in order to complete the tasks at hand. Having said this, there is a lot of input from the MindStep crew, who help lighten the load. For example, I work closely with Syte & Boilerman Dean when selecting and finalizing tracks for release.
Considering I have been mixing for over 10 years now, with my first pair of decks being belt-driven SoundLab 1600’s, it's fair to say I feel a lot more at ease when on the ones and twos.
I would say I am in the formative stages of my production and feel confident with my progression as a producer. My passion for making music is as strong as the passion and excitement I had for mixing throughout my teens. I am not ignorant to the fact that I have a lot to learn in building tunes, hence my openness and willingness to receive objective criticism. Having the ability to incorporate Serato into most of my radio shows I am able to instantly put my production to the test, allowing opportunities to get direct feedback. This also permits me to effectively prepare my club sets with dubs and promos I receive.
Promotion underpins all aspects of what I do, not just the MindStep events, but also the DJing, radio shows and label work. It plays a vital role in raising awareness of MindStep artists, our affiliations and other respectable artists.
H: Tell us a bit about the mix you've put together for us.
C / M: I will not reveal too much about the mix, as you will soon hear what it's all about. Hopefully it’s a clear reflection of the MindStep sound, as well as the sounds I am drawn towards, represented on my weekly show "Sunshine ina Bag".
The mix is about 40 minutes long and consists of 14 tracks; it also includes three tracks forthcoming on MindStep Music, plus a track from Thelem & Delta Labs entitled ‘Constrained’ that appears on ‘The Compilation’.
H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you want to put the word out about?
C / M: We at MindStep Music are proud to present our debut release [MSC001] ‘The Compilation’, and are looking forward to dropping our next release [MSS001] in June 2011: a digital single-track from Mr. Boogie, straight out of Germany. This single will be followed by our first EP release [MS001] from an interesting, up-and-coming Japanese producer know as Dubtro.
After that, there are more EP releases from homegrown talent such as Killawatt, Bandicoot and My Nu Leng. Plus we will be giving away a MindStep 320 promo, courtesy of Killawatt. If you are reading this and would like to send dubs or demos for future MindStep Music consideration, please send respectable links to: mydemo@mindstepmusic.com
Thanks for taking the time to read this feature and I hope you enjoy the mix.
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)
