Featuring: Shredexx

Feature No.23 comes from an increasingly popular producer whose tight production and menacing basslines have seen continued airplay on Rinse and sustained support from some of the biggest DJ's in the scene. Shredexx combines a multitude of influences taken from his time living in cities around the world - notably Berlin and London - to build beats of real originality and quality wrought with sinister synths and powerful drums. With his recent E.P recieving positive reviews and support from the likes of Distance we caught up with Shredexx to ask a few questions and get his contribution to our expanding mix series.

HEDMUK: As an introduction, what's your name, where do you come from and how would you describe your sound?

Shredexx: I'm Shredexx, I'm a 22 year old producer originally from Hamburg, Germany but have lived in London, Australia and Germany intermittently over the last few years. My sound is probably best described as dark electronic music. I like to draw influences from techno, dubstep, drum n' bass and electronica and i spread those influences over various projects I do - with Shredexx my footing is firmly in dubstep.

H: What is it about darker, deeper music that appeals to you? How did you get in to creating this kind of music?

I think as your music taste develops; you're constantly looking for things which excite you, and the deeper, darker side of this sound really hit a note with me while i was studying in London. It was something that probably could never have captivated me as much as it did if i wasn't there. I remember the first club night i went to when I got to London was FWD and I knew straight away that I'd walked in to something special. I went to school in Sydney, Australia, and the club scene there was so under developed and it largely still is. But London's was thriving when I got there and it was such a pleasure to get in to when I did. Its such a familiar tale amongst dubstep producers; but thats one of the things I like about it. There's these sorts of cornerstones that have become a language to so many… you know, FWD, DMZ etc.

Silence by shredexx

H: How do you go about building your beats? Do you have a set pattern of production?

S: Its always changing to be honest; so you go through periods of having certain methods, then after a few days, weeks or months you tend to switch it up a little bit. That way you constantly learn new things and keep your production moving forward and fresh. I can say that the way i used to make beats a few years back is completely different to the way I do it now.Generally speaking, you get a little idea in your head, whether its something you thought of, heard or just think would sound good and you start there. It could be a baseline, a sound or a drum beat; and what usually makes the cut is for further work is when its good. If thats the case, you keep going and build layer after layer until you've got something strong that you can visualise working in a club or a mix or something. I guess thats the thing about club music - it has to work on the dancefloor and a lot of the time; thats my goal.

H: How much of an influence is living in Berlin/Germany on your music? Do you pick up sounds and influences from the local scene?

S: Well Berlin is a special place. The main language there is techno, and thats something that really rubs off. I remember when i was 12 or 13 I thought techno was some kind of joke… repetitive beats, next to nothing happening, nothing memorable. But over time i realised I couldn't have been more wrong. Its a music that thrives on grooves and instantaneous feeling rather than what you might expect from 'dance' music (I hate that term). It can be big without being loud, and can be really rhythmic without too much going on. But location is an interesting thing, because it definitely dictates a large part of your thought processes as far as what you build goes. London was seminal for me as it started and helped me cultivate my interest in dubstep. When I moved back to Australia it allowed me to take a step back and focus on what I liked about the London sound and really develop a little bit more independently. Especially because there were big shifts over the last few years that i wasn't necessarily as excited about as what I first heard. Berlin will be another chapter that im really looking forward to reading in to more and more as time goes on.

H: You've been getting alot of love from Distance. How does it feel to be supported by one of the biggest names in Dubstep?

S: It's really really flattering. Distance was one of the guys whose tracks I heard and really felt wowed by, and I still do. His Rinse show has really become something special over the years. He's championed some really important people, in this sound and in many others. I think he was even the first person to play one of the tracks off James Blakes' first release. It's so important to get support, not just from the big names, but from everyone, because the life of making beats is pretty solitary these days. You don't need to go out spreading your music on records or cd's anymore so a lot of the personal connections have dissipated. You make the beats alone in your bedroom, so if you're not sending your music out to people, no one will ever hear it except maybe your close friends and neighbours.Having Distance play my tracks is a big confirmation, and on top of that things like that really fuel a desire to keep going and keep on building; because thats what its ultimately about: Building beats, enjoying that and then showering down a club with them.

H: With your recent E.P getting positive reviews, we wondered what your musical goal was. A release on Chestplate has got to be right up there?

S: I think something like that is still a long way off. But it would obviously be a dream come true for me, as Distance really is an influence and a tastemaker for me. But yeah, a release on Chestplate is definitely something I aspire to, their output has been so consistent over the years and it would be an absolute honour.As far as musical goals go, I rarely make a beat where I sit back and am completely happy with it. I have this conversation with a lot of people who produce these days. I think even a few years ago, when a lot of dubstep DJ's were still using vinyl and you had to get a plate cut to get your beat in their bags it was different, because no one is willing to shell out cash to get a half-done beat cut to dub. But now its flipped; CD's have really opened things up for producers, for better or worse.. because you kind of get lazy knowing someone can just burn this on to a CD and hit play. That's another one of my musical goals I guess, just to carry on making beats and making sure they continue to improve.

Action by shredexx

H: Tell us a bit about the mix you've put together for us.

S: I always find doing mixes quite difficult. Is it a matter of trying to show people your own new stuff? or should you be going in trying to just put together an hour of quality beats? I think its a mixture of the two, but certainly leaning towards the latter. So I guess the mix is a bit of a statement from me as to where I'm at and what I'm doing, and at the same time just some beats that im into at the moment. Theres a lot of stuff from producers im in contact with and feeling at the moment so i hope its the same for you!

H; Finally, are there any forthcomings or projects in the pipeline that you want to put the word out about?

S: At this stage Im really enjoying making beats. More than ever i guess, so I just want to keep on doing that! Theres a lot in the pipeline, but nothing set in stone just yet. At the moment whats most important to me is that I keep on developing in what I like doing. Making beats and more beats. But don't worry, I hopefully wont be quiet for long.

Download: Shredexx - Exclusive Hedmuk Mix

Shredexx - Exclusive HEDMUK Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

Tracklist:

1. Kangding Ray - Anthem/Monster - Raster Noton
2. Icicle - 1, 2, Go - Shogun Audio
3. Biome - Flesh - Dub
4. Shredexx - Hardest - Subdepth
5. Subreachers - Tidals - Dub
6. Shredexx - Actions - Dub
7. UNKLE - Follow Me Down (Mr. Lager Remix) - Surrender All/Essential
8. Core - 3rd Chamber - Dub
9. Icicle - Galactic Step - Shogun Audio
10. Shredexx - Morbid - Dub
11. Killawatt & Thelem - Swarf - Dub (New Moon)
12. Benny Page - Take You Back - Subway
13. Shredexx - Tenfold - Dub
14. Pinch & Loefah - Broken - Tectonic
15. Antics - Rundown (TMSV remix) - Dub
16. Shredexx - Transporta - Dub
17. Thelem - Distilled - Dub
18. Rhythm & Sound - We Be Troddin - Rhythm & Sound
19. Subreachers - Dark Souls - Dub
20. Kryptic Minds - Myth - Black Box
21. Mala - Eyez - DMZ
22. Luke Envoy - M.U.G.E.N (Jakes Remix) - Wonderland
23. Distance - Beyond - Chestplate
24. Commix - Be True (Burial Remix) - Metalheadz
25. Kangding Ray - Odd Sympathy - Raster Noton
26. Rhythm & Sound - King In My Empire - Rhythm & Sound
27. Bardeya - Well Before Use - Dub

Free Download: Shredexx - Decept

As seems to be something of trend at the moment, Shredexx has celebrated reaching 100 followers on his Facebook page by giving away a free tune. After recently breaking into a lot of new listeners' ears with his tightly-crafted 'Silence EP' on Subdepth and through consistent airplay from the likes of Distance on Rinse the future is looking bright for the young German producer. This beat, however, is quite the opposite of bright as sliding, industrial synths establish a dank groove around light percussion and a whispered sample.

Download: Shredexx - Decept

.Preacha.

Featuring: Biome

There's a lot of talent in Manchester that tends to get overlooked, but it's a testament to the city's apparently inherent passion for music that this acts less as a barrier than as a hurdle that needs to be crossed at its highest point. Biome is a producer representative of this approach in that there is nothing rushed about his work and he only seems happy if what people are hearing from him is something that he can call fully-formed. After first breaking into dubstep with the sort of big kicks and dark mid-range found on tunes like 'Sonic' he has honed his sound to something genuinely original and he's now reaping the rewards of his patience and getting regular plays from some of the biggest names on the circuit. By considering the importance of the mid-range of a tune alongside the bassline and still keeping in mind the idea of space, Biome builds that ever-elusive sense of darkness into his beats whilst maintaining the energy within them that is necessary to get people moving on a dancefloor. We caught up with him for an interview and he's also contributed 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?
Biome: I'm Biome, I'm from Lancashire originally but now living in Manchester. I'd describe my sound as deep, dark and sub-heavy but mostly just dark.

H: How did you get into making beats? Are you from a musical background or was it something you picked up yourself?
B: It's something I've been interested in since being about 10 years old. I was brought up listening to and understanding classical music but fell in love with hip hop from the moment I first heard Onyx and Wu-Tang. I started messing with Ejay and music for the PS1 when I was 11 and my passion for creating got stronger. I purchased Ableton when I was 14 along with Reason and started out making drum and bass with Indigo. I was messing around with production for a while and then the dubstep scene started to emerge and it was at a time where both me and Indigo were looking for something new and exciting, as drum and bass around that time seemed to have lost its edge. Since then I've stuck to making dubstep and drum and bass, but I'm definitely pushing the dubstep a lot more at the moment.

Biome "Havana" by Dubstep For Deep Heads

H: Where do you draw your influences from, and are they mainly musical or do you take ideas from other things aswell?
B: My influence can come from anywhere: the best influence for me comes from films as I like to create a scene with my music. I like film soundtracks and the way they are constructed. I take my drum influence from hip hop mainly as I always loved the half step swing and have never been too much into 2-step or garage because I always preferred jungle when it comes to fast skippy beats.

H: Some of your earlier releases, such as that alongside Dom Hz on Subdepth, had a greater dancefloor focus; are you still making this range of sounds, or do you tend to focus in on building tunes of a certain style?
B: I still mostly make dancefloor music, I've just matured a lot within my style. I've finally begun to really mould my sound. I'm still making a lot of mid range bass within my tunes but with a much more tasteful nature than the screeching sounds of today's jump-up scene. I like to use synthesis intelligently and create a groove around the beat with the bass as opposed to just using the beat as the main rhythm. I'm very much into the deeper side of music and take a lot of influence from Indigo and Synkro and the music they play me, but I take that and interpret the sound in my own, usually darker, way. I've got a Mindset release forthcoming which I think will show another side to my production, a lighter and slightly more emotional style of production.

H: Having been hailed as criminally underrated for so long, how does it feel to be breaking onto the scene via Youngsta's revered Rinse slot?
B: I'm pleased with how things are going at the moment. Youngsta's helped me a lot with feedback and promoting my tracks on Rinse: he's the one DJ who's always played the sound that I was massively into. I've always been into the techy side of music, coming from a D&B background and being heavily influenced by producers like Calyx, Teebee, Silent Witness, Spor and nowadays especially Noisia. I wanted to recreate this sound within dubstep but on a deeper, dubbier level and Youngsta was pretty much the only main DJ on the scene playing that style so it was good to link with him; we're definitely on the same wavelength when it comes to music so we get on well.

Biome - The Fear EP by Sub Pressure

H: Manchester is a city brimming with talent, yet it seems to be continually overlooked: what would you put this down to? With similar situations in both Leeds and Birmingham, do you think that the student-dominated/oriented nightlife of these cities is a major factor?
B: I'd say that as dubstep has been evolving it's taken time for producers from other cities to get involved due to it starting out as a London scene. As time has passed I think it has become a lot more open to producers all over the country and world. If the music's good and it's pushed with the right people it usually gets out there. I would say that within the Manchester club scene it hardly seems worth booking anybody but the really big names as it is student dominated and the crowds go for the names they know. It's more likely that Manchester artists get better gigs outside of Manchester. There is certainly a lot of talent within Manchester and other parts of the country but there is a feeling that you still need a helping hand from people primarily on the London scene to get you noticed.

Music should be universal and not really seen as a 'Manchester sound' or a 'London sound' etcetera. All music has to originate from somewhere and there will be a reason why a certain style has come from a certain background and the influences it's taken from that. I think within Manchester there's a much bigger call for the deeper soulful side of music because that seems like the main influence around us, and something I certainly draw a great influence from myself.

H: Talk us through how you went about putting together the mix you've done for us.
B: I went along the lines of a more listenable mix for this: strictly 140 dubstep but crossing a lot of sub genres within it. I wanted to show the true extent of my sound and also represent the artists whose work I'm massively into. I've tried to make it a journey of sound so it's not just bangers throughout or deep and musical throughout but a mixture of it all taking different directions to the groove of the mix without losing energy or interest.

H: Finally, are there any forthcomings or anything in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out about?
B: I'm in talks with a few different labels at the moment; nothings 100% yet but there should be some big releases heading out soon and one to look out for is the next Mindset release.


Download: Biome - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix


Tracklist:

Ruckspin & Quark - Roman (Dub)
Versa - Wisdom (ICU Audio)
Indigo - Neveah (Dub)
Sleeper - The 2nd Step (Dub)
Biome - Quest (Dub)
Killawatt - Critters (Dub)
Cymatic - Glue (Forthcoming Box Clever)
Sleeper - Untitled (Dub)
Biome & Fallen 45 - DMT (Dub)
Indigo- Creeper (Dub)
Versa - Lucid (Dub)
Biome & Versa - Untitled (Dub)
Synkro - Tribe (Box Clever)
DJ Madd - Dub Marine (Kryptic Minds Remix) - (Black Box)
Biome - Propaganda (Dub)
Sleeper - Kuruwai (Dub)
Thelem - Distilled (Dub)
Biome - Minus (Dub)
Biome - Moody (Dub)
Biome - Industrial (Sub Pressure)
Dom Hz - What Happened (Dub)
Biome - Nightscape (Dub)
Indigo - Bardo (Dub)

Biome -HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

.Preacha.

Free Download: Dom Hz - Remix Album 001

Known for his diverse catalogue of productions ranging from thumping heavy rollers to skippy 2-step numbers, Dom Hz is a well-known name on the bass music circuit in Manchester. With well-supported releases on labels including SubDepth and Open Earz, not to mention the inclusion of 'Without You' on the Joe Muggs compiled 'Adventures in Dubstep & Beyond', and regular appearances at the likes of Hit&Run and Sicknote already comfortably under his belt, his trajectory is undoubtedly an upward one.

This album is an eleven track collection of bootlegs and comes with a note from the man himself which reads:

'THESE REMIXES HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM THE ARTISTS WITHOUT PERMISSION.

ALL EXTRA PRODUCTION ETC BY DOM Hz

THIS IS A FREE ALBUM MADE FOR FUN & THE GOOD OF THE DUB MUSIC COMMUNITY!

IF ANY ARTIST ABOVE IS PISSED OFF CONTACT ME AND I WILL TAKE DOWN THE

LINKS IMMEDIATELY..

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR LISTENING

CATCH DOM HZ LIVE EVERY WEDNESDAY 6-8PM (GMT) ON RoodFM: WWW.ROOD.FM

PEACE'

Download: Dom Hz - Remix Album 001

Tracklist:

1. Jessica Bunny - Why Don't You (Jazz Step Edit)
2. Dead Prez - Hip Hop (Mank Skank Remix)
3. Starry Eyed (Easy Steppy Edit) - Ellie Goulding
4. Bombay Bicycle Club - Always Like This (Epic Edit)
5. Reflekt - Need To Feel Loved (feat. Delline Bass) (Barber Shop Remix)
6. Omni Trio - First Contact (Back In The Day Mix)

7. Soren Larue - Mo Money (feat. Lea Luna) (The-Kids-Love-It Remix)
8. Jill Scott - It's Love (2008 Mix)
9. Family Foundation - Ten Snide E (MBC Anthem Mix)
10. Kosheen - Catch You (Not Much To It Mix)
11. SLK - Hype Hype (Speaker Friendly Mix)

.Preacha.