Review: Wayfarer - Afterlight EP [UA005]

With previous contributions to Uprise Audio providing the highlights of, chronologically, 'The Uprising EP' and 'Live To The Future' picture disc sampler and subsequent compilation, it seems about time that Wayfarer be given the opportunity to make a full solo statement on the label. And the 'Afterlight EP' is a statement, as equally demonstrative of what a Wayfarer EP sounds like in 2013 as it is suggestive of what the coming year might hold.

The title track is as grand and self-aware as we've heard him yet: a driving, broken-steppa rhythm - not dissimilar to that of the anthemic 'Reflections' - married with a sub that'll pin your ears back, gently. From here on in, though, the beats become more scattered and coarse as 'Azuma' deconstructs 2013's seemingly ubiquitous "dark roller" format, with pounding kicks punctuated with successive flurries of shaker, hi-hat and hand percussion, whilst 'Nomad' continues this deconstructive theme, stripped back to a swollen, lurching bassline and delicate, incidental percussion. And just as the record turns to pick itself apart from the inside-out, 'Zeg' nods back to the opener's lush pads and rounds off the release with the kind of assertive style that has come to be expected from this up-and-comer.

Wayfarer is a producer with intent, and this was never going to be a handful of 'Shaman' or 'Reflections' re-runs; instead, and all the better for it, we have a snapshot which looks back as much on the journey to this point as it does, through a methodical deconstruction of what has come so far, to the possibilities that the next leg might offer.



Wayfarer - Afterlight EP will be released digitally on Monday the 16th of December, exclusive to Beatport for until December 23rd,  with the 12" vinyl to follow in January 2014.


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Premiere: Vaun & Animai - Taking Over [Official Video]

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.



Taking Over will be released on the 25th of November, and can be pre-ordered from iTunes here.

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Hit&Run - War Dub Special w/ Kahn & Neek, Wayfarer & Kanjira, Chimpo, Skittles & T-Man - 15/11/13

Antwerp Mansion plays host to the latest in Hit&Run's sporadic string of autumn events, this time calling in a few faces that should be more than familiar to the regular crowd by now.

Kahn & Neek will be in war mode already, following up the former's recent clash with V.I.V.E.K at SubDub in London, and packing the freshest batch of heaters and VIPs. Two more Hit&Run regulars, Wayfarer and Kanjira - both sitting on material produced especially for the night - will share the decks in a repeat of their last back-to-back session down at FWD>>, and man-of-the-moment Chimpo, straight off the back of recent mixes for 1Xtra and Trap Magazine, will be bringing his usual unique blend of bootlegs and dubplate specials. On mic, T-Man and Skittles will be proving Manchester's MC indisputable mettle.

For more information on the night, including how to secure £5 advance tickets, head over to the Facebook event page.

Download: Kahn Vs. V.I.V.E.K - Live @ SubDub London, 08/11/13


Watch: Chimpo turning tunes for some of Manchester's finest in LVL 01.2

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Comment: Apparently the UK has moved on from low-end frequencies. We beg to differ.

On Sunday just gone, a mildly amusing list-style article entitled '10 Things People Say To Pretend They Know About Dance Music' was posted on the blog space of Mixmag's website by Bass Editor, Seb Wheeler. It is, for the most part, a fairly accurate run-through of gripes that might be levelled at, well, someone pretending to know about dance music, in fact the list might even be commended for its rebuttal of those claiming that "Deadmau5 can't actually mix" or that "Analogue always sounds better than digital". However where it falls down, and heavily so, is the point at which it is claimed 'that the UK has moved on from low-end frequencies somewhat' and that 'America has become the new home of bass.'

The problem here is firstly in the suggestion that, in a post-internet world, something as broad as bass music could be considered to have a home. Dubstep is probably the finest example of the way in which the internet has globalised music to a greater extent than ever before - it still astounds me to see the huge variety of countries checking in over on Hedmuk's Soundcloud page. That, though, is another conversation entirely.

The issue I really took with the piece, though, was the apparent ignorance of the UK bass music scene's current state of health, and the general terms in which it was stated. The assertion that the UK has moved beyond an interest in 'low-end frequencies' would suggest that anyone from Mungo's Hi-Fi to Iration Steppas to Unit 137 to Manchester's Dub Smugglers had decided to pack it all in and play out off a radio set. 'Low-end frequencies' is not a suitable replacement phrase for "what Youngsta plays on Rinse". Semantics aside, the UK's long-term obsession with everything low and bold is arguably seeing some of its finest days in years: dubstep pushes on, led by the inimitable likes of Karma, Thelem, Taiko, Wayfarer, Biome and Kaiju; grime as a whole is seeing a resurgence that had been bubbling away long before the recent war dubs spat stirred things up, Boofy's 'Since When' is hard as a brick is, and Asa & Sorrow are showing that grime needn't lack the production value of its Croydon cousin; UK funky, through Champion, Killjoy, Brunks and Beneath, is still laying a claim to club space; house music is the sound of the charts, let alone the underground; and that's before you even start talking about the breaks-driven experimentalism being peddled by Etch, Special Request and Tessela.

What's more, and as good a sign of the UK's continued progression as any, is that there are so many names that don't fit easily into any of the categories above but who are carving out their own lanes regardless, and taking an open-eared following with them. Wen, Circula, Troy Gunner, Sepia, Blackwax, Facta, Underclass and Akkord are just a handful of the many defying the journalists' pigeon-holes.

As with anything like this there will undoubtedly be people I've missed, but if anything that only serves to make the point more strongly: there are literally too many names to mention.

It may well be the case that what was really meant by the offending remark was that the US has seemingly moved beyond its excitement over face-melt mid-ranges and car crash snares, and that what remains is a crowd highly receptive to a more subtle sound - speaking with Innamind Recordings boss, Jeremy, he couldn't emphasise enough how inspiring it was to see people so passionate about the sound that he and others like him are currently pushing. The US is, for want of a better term, catching up and is doing so - as exemplified by the likes of the Reconstrvct crew mentioned in the article - in fine style, however it shouldn't require a misguided knock of the UK scene to express that.

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Featuring: Uprise Audio

The last time we spoke to Seven, just over a year ago, he was gearing up for the release of his debut long player and touring extensively, he spoke reflectively on his many years spent in the industry and the impressive back catalogue he had to show for it; so it fits well that the same themes be present in this, our second interview with the London-based producer/DJ. Not exactly the same though, as this time around his specific focus is something different; whilst continuing to work within the music industry, making plans for tours, and putting out a string of quality releases are all still part of the day-to-day, this time however it's based around the new label founded by Seven just a few months ago: Uprise Audio. Having quickly established a wide and passionate fan base - as evidenced in the results of this year's Dubstepforum Awards - the label has been taking strong strides, branching out comfortably into running label clubnights up and down the country whilst simultaneously sending each of its first three releases climbing the various singles charts. What's perhaps most clear, however, is the enormous amount of passion with which the label is run: it seems that this is the driving force behind Uprise, embodied in Seven himself, and has come to define the impressive levels of quality control and attention to detail which can be noted in all of the label's various exploits. It's this same passion that comes across in the interview below, and that can be heard throughout the mix which accompanies it; so all there is to do now is enjoy it, and share in it...

Hedmuk: Since you've already introduced yourself to us once before, can you tell us a bit about your record label and the sort of sound that you feel it represents?

Seven: My label is called Uprise Audio. We are based in the UK and we have a team of exclusive artists from the UK and all corners of the world. The label is run day to day by myself and my partner Verity J, with valuable input from our press manager Joe and art director Cimm. It's a vinyl and digital record label representing the future sounds of deep, dark and dangerous dubstep. The sound of the label is a serious one: there is nothing cheesy about it. It's all about forward-thinking music, intelligent grooves and serious bass weight and I have chosen tracks to release which I feel have theme and relevance to one another.

H: What was the inspiration behind the label? Was it a case of wanting somewhere to put out your own music and retain full creative control, or more to do with the amount of good music you were being sent and talent that you were discovering? Even the label's name, 'Uprise', would suggest a mission of bringing plenty of new names and material to the forefront.

S: You pretty much answer this question in your question: firstly it was a case of having some fantastic talent sending me music and seeing huge potential in them, like diamonds which needed cutting into fine stones. Originally the plan was to hand the tracks to Black Box or Wheel & Deal in hope of getting them signed and looked after, but there wasn't an opportunity for that at the time and i didn't wanna let the guys down so I decided to start a label and put the tunes out myself. I realised how much creative control I could have over it all too: I could really shape the sound of the label by putting the effort into the artists I signed; and I have a serious team of individuals now, each with their unique sounds but all relevant to the sound of the label. I guess the name does suggest a mission, I never really thought about that when I named the label but it's kind of fitting to the rapid progression of the artists and the label though. 'Onwards and upwards' seems to be our motto at Uprise.




H: With the label already on its third release, and having brought forward two relatively unheard of names, are there plans to extend the label's roster further or are you comfortable moving on with just the four or five already signed for now?

S: I've been building quite a team of artists. I have signed new people which have not even had a release yet, who absolutely blow me away with every track they send me. I can confirm my team of artists as the following: Dubtek, Chewie, Asylum, Nanobyte, Wayfarer, Spec, Taiko and Quantum Soul. All these guys will be featuring tracks on the label this year. They are all set to make some serious waves too, I have been overwhelmed by incredible music and they make it difficult for me to choose which tracks to put out because the level of quality is so high.


H: We spoke previously about how you go about balancing your time between producing and DJing all over the world, how considerably have you had to redress this balance now to include label work?

S: I've taken a lot of time out from deejaying since returning from Outlook. This period from then until now is actually the longest I have been in the UK for years, I realised I had been constantly touring all over without really regrouping. When the label was conceived I knew that I needed to focus on it for a while and live in a normal time zone, so I have been putting every other spare moment into the label, the artists and the management of my own key area, which is A&R. Once things started to become formulated and in a system I knew I would have some time back and that I needed to get back in the studio too and make some tracks so I could lead by example. I did all of the above and it's done me the world of good, I reinforced my sound and production techniques, built up a good sample library and all that combined with this new vision I have has improved my tracks a lot. I have started taking bookings again now so I guess the true test is yet to come but, being a libra, balancing life is my forté.


H: Do you feel that your experience as a DJ, and constructing sets which can traverse a series of different moods, has helped when it comes to thinking of the overall impression of the label and the diversity of sounds and approaches it can represent?

S: Yeah, no doubt: I wouldn't put out music I didn't feel confident playing in my sets. The tunes my artists were handing me initially were relevant to my own productions and I felt my sets were more rounded as a result of that. I had already started building the Uprise Audio sound in the sets that I was playing, and even more so now: 70% of my sets now are UA tracks. I feel so blessed to be playing such wonderful exclusive music and being able to share that with you all and confidently tell you that it will be released, because it's me who is releasing it and makes those decisions.




H: How important is it to you, particularly considering your own extensive back catalogue, that the label be considered a well-respected label, whose direction the fans can trust? Is releasing on vinyl as well as digital a part of this too, would you say?

S: It means everything to me for the label to be well respected. I strive to make sure we do everything how it should be done: no corners cut and above all tight quality control, both in the music and the physical product itself. We master our music with Beau at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, we press at Optimal in Germany and we distribute efficiently through SRD. Like I said: no corners cut, quality control is everything. It costs us more, but we believe it's worth it.
I think there is more to running a record label than just putting out music too, at Uprise we have created a brand, a collective and an interaction with our fan-base through club night events, radio shows and merchandise. We manage our artists and also manage any bookings they need attended to. I think these things are the very least a record label can be doing.

The vinyl releases are a big thing for to me too. I think it's what sets labels apart from each other nowadays and also what makes people have faith in what you put out. It costs a lot of money to press vinyl, and especially for such small quantities like we do now - compared to, say, 15 years ago. So people know if you're going to be putting that much time and investment into a release then you're going to make sure it's worthy of the time, money and effort and the fans will then have faith in what you do.


H: Despite only being a few months young, you've already put on a selection of label-based clubnights: is this live aspect of the label something you consider to be particularly significant?

S: We started off with the intention of running just two launch parties to establish the brand and label and put it in public focus. One being in Verity's local area Nottingham and one in London,  my usual playground. We considered it as advertising and all part of the start-up budget, but we had such an amazing reaction to them and people kept asking when the next one will be, so we decided to carry on with the momentum. It's proved to be really worth it, it solidifies our following and gives people a night out to remember us by. I think it also shows yet more depth to the label and what we have going on too, so we decided it's a positive thing for us to continue doing and as long as people demand them then we will keep doing them. We have had so many promoters asking us if they can use our brand and book our DJs to throw UA-themed parties so we will announce all those dates in the near future as it's now almost become a UK- and Europe-wide label tour. All of my artists are actually good DJs too, which I think contributes massively to the atmosphere and vibe on the nights we put on: no line-up fillers, just good DJs. We try and keep the costs of entry to a minimum too, as it's not about trying to earn money putting on the night. Our first two events were actually free entry and the one following that was only a pound.




H: Take us through how you approached the mix you've put together for us.

S: I've done so many mixes lately, but I saved some killers for this one. All of my artists feature on this mix, so it's an introduction to us, who we are and what we do as a collective. I have also included tracks by friends in the scene who are also making some incredible music which is blowing me away right now. It starts of really energetic, and caters for a full spectrum of listeners: my definitive journey through the deep, dark and dangerous sounds of dubstep.



H: Finally, what can people expect from Uprise in the near future: any forthcoming releases or label nights on the horizon that you'd like to put the word out on?

S: The latest release is by myself and is 'Walter White' backed with 'Medievil'. It went straight to number 1 in the vinyl chart and has since conquered all the digital charts too, hitting the number 1 spot everywhere. There's also a digital bonus track with the release called 'Tension Builds', included for free if you buy the vinyl or the whole release as a digital bundle. I decided to do that as a thank you to everyone who buys the vinyl and never gets a bonus track, but naturally I honour the same deal for people who buy the digital bundle too.

The following release UA004 will be a 2 x 12" double-pack consisting of 5 tracks: 'Go To War' by myself, 'Shaman' by Wayfarer, 'Underworld' by Quantum Soul, 'Primitive' by Chewie and Dubtek and 'Lost Souls' by Klax and Disonata. It's highly anticipated and has been battered by Youngsta exclusively for the past few months now, creating some very special moments at events like System and getting numerous wheel-ups on Rinse FM too. It will be available late April/early May.

We also have another UA event on April 27th at The Volks in Brighton. The line-up is Youngsta, myself, Quantum Soul, Nanobyte, Klax, Occult, Sibla, Duku, Toast MC and Joe Raygun. It's going to be a good night, and we are bringing in a 30KW sound system!

I'd also like to give a massive shout to Youngsta, Verity J, Cimm, Joe Raygun, Dubtek, Chewie, Asylum, Nanobyte, Wayfarer, Spec, Quantum Soul, Taiko, Toast, Truth, Klax, Disonata, Genetix, Nicole Submission and all the fam, Calico, Ken and Ryan, SRD, Beau Thomas, and last but not least my mum and everyone else I forgot to list here. To book UA artists or events just contact Verity at contact@upriseaudio.com



Download: Uprise Audio - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix: Mixed by Seven



Tracklist:

Seven - Tension Builds [Uprise Audio]
Wayfarer & Taiko  - Sanka [Uprise Audio Dub]
Spec - Mad [Uprise Audio Dub]
Chewie & Dubtek - Primitive [Uprise Audio Dub]
Chewie - Inferno [Uprise Audio Dub]
Asylum - Salvage [Uprise Audio]
Truth - I Belong [Forthcoming Tempa]
Seven - Morning Light (feat. Alys Be) (Chewie Remix) [Dub]
Juss B  - Ritual [Dub]
Dubtek - Kuiper Belt [Uprise Audio Dub]
Perverse - Hamba (Spec Remix) [Dub]
S!CK - Fatboy - Nomad (Artikal Remix)
Myrkur - Dancing In The Dark (Artikal Remix) [Dubsludge Recordings]
Seven - Medievil [Uprise Audio]
Truth - Devil's Hands [Forthcoming Tempa]
Spec - Aggression [Uprise Audio Dub]
Taiko - Bubishi [Uprise Audio Dub]
Dubtek - Extension [Uprise Audio]
Nanobyte - Hidden Code [Uprise Audio Dub]
Youngsta - Destruction [Tempa]
Seven - Go To War [Uprise Audio Dub]
Dubtek - Plus Ultra [Uprise Audio]
Wayfarer - Lapse [Uprise Audio Dub]
Genetix - Sequence VIP [Biscuit Factory Dub]
Seven - Walter White VIP [Uprise Audio Dub]

Uprise Audio - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix: Mixed by Seven by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

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Free Download: Wayfarer - Fall Of The Zulu VIP

A tune debuted last year as the closeout to his Hedmuk Exclusive Mix, Wayfarer's 'Fall Of The Zulu VIP' took the original's startling percussion and gave it a whole new roll with an added flurry of drum hits and twisted mid-range; the tune quickly became one of the young producer's most sought-after dubplates, occupying pride of place in the bags of a very select few DJs. However, without any plans for an official release, and with a corrupt Logic project file making that end seem even less likely, we were surprised and delighted in equal measure when the Notts producer hit us up to host the track as a free download. So grab the tune for free below and, healthy project files withstanding, keep an eye out for some Wayfarer wax hitting the shelves soon.


Download: Wayfarer - Fall Of The Zulu VIP



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Featuring: Taiko

Taiko first came to our attention when he popped up on AIM, sent over a track called 'Bode', and then went silent. In the meantime, the track - a thumping 140 workout - was being played weekly on the Hedmuk Rood FM, rattled the GetDarker studio, and eventually ended up slipping out for free via our friends over at Deep Heads. A few months down the line and the elusive beat-smith returned, and this time with a handful of tunes which continued to challenge the perception of 140bpm as half-step-only territory. Building melodies from intricate percussive arrangements, guttural mids and huge subs, Taiko's sound is strikingly original in its arrangement. His work-rate, too, is second-to-none as he consistently pushes out new beats, each one developing in some way that which came before it; and with such a headstart, with the years on his side, we can only predict interesting things for Taiko's near future.

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

Taiko: My name's Louis, I'm from Sheffield, and I guess I'd say my music is dark, percussive dubstep.

H: How long have you been producing for? Had you been involved in any musical projects before Taiko, and what was it that first got you into making beats?

T: I've been producing under the name Taiko for about a year and a half now, and started playing around with tunes around the middle of 2009. I was making a lot of drum and bass when I started and used to make the odd grime or hip-hop beat every now and again, so I'd say some of those influences are still there. Later on I think dubstep just kind of clicked for me: I used to play the drums quite a lot and had some runs with some bands and other aliases but none of them really felt right. Funnily enough it was my old music teacher that introduced me to production! He ended up showing me Reason 3 one time, I'd go in the computer room at lunchtimes having half an hour to do something so it used to take like a month to finish a tune. Eventually I got Reason 4 at home and then moved onto Ableton.

H: Your beats (as your moniker might suggest) tend to use variations in drum sounds to create melodies: is this a key or conscious aspect of your arrangement process, would you say, or  something that you tend to find happening naturally as you put a tune together?

T: Yeah recently it's definitely becoming more of a natural process, but at the same time I think it can just depend on if I have a certain idea or concept in mind to start with [or not]. Like if I know I want to use some vocals or a lot of mid bass, I'll have to think about leaving a lot more space in the spectrum. I'm a sucker for big gully bongos though, so I can't see myself holding back the percussion anytime soon.

H: You've already got plenty of collaborations under your belt, is this something you enjoy doing? Do you feel that it aids your own development as a musician as you share ideas with, and pick up ideas from, other producers?

T: Yeah I'm very grateful to everyone I've worked with, so shouts to Beezy, Subreachers and Wayfarer! I love it though, blending two producers' styles together is a brilliant concept to start with, and with technology now it's so simple. Also it gives you a chance to really let loose on a track and with two minds you can get some wicked results, so I'd definitely recommend it. I do think it helps you develop definitely, you can see where someone's changed a part you did and vice versa and both of you can bounce ideas around, picking up little bits along the way; so its a good laugh and mutually beneficial.

H: Sheffield is perhaps more associated with guitar bands - with the likes of the Arctic Monkeys and Pulp making the Steel City famous - however names like Oris Jay, LFO and Toddla T suggest there is plenty to be said for its electronic scene too: what sort of a community (in terms of labels, nights, other producers etc) is there for underground dance music there?

T: It's a funny one because Sheffield has got a rich music scene, but it's so broad that it can become quite territorial almost. It has a good energy about the place, though, so if you know what to look for then you're sorted. Some good mates of mine are running the Pubstep and Roots crew, doing big nights at the moment with 20hz - a Void-driven soundsystem - which really gives you a good battering. Also there's Dedication Audio, who have just finished their rig, doing your drum and bass and there's Subtitle for your heavier jump-up music. To name a few other nights I'd say check out the OffMeNut guys, Knives and Forks, DubCafe...too many to mention! For producers I'd recommend Commodo, Kommon, Dark Harmonics, Dr Cryptic, Walter Ego and Squarehead.

H: Tell us a little about how you went about putting together the mix you've done for us.

T: Well it's been put together from the tunes I've been sent, a few released ones, and just under half of the mix is my own tunes, collabs and all the stuff I've been making recently. Big up to everyone who has sent me any music, and sorry if I couldn't fit your tune in the mix: was a hard

decision!

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

T: Nothing release-wise at the moment, but I've got a few possibilities of gigs later in the year so keep your eyes peeled. I'm also playing with Kaiju, and a few of the producers I mentioned before, on March 9th up here in Sheffield: head down if you're about!

Many thanks to Willum and Sam: enjoy the mix!

Download: Taiko - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix


Tracklist:


Congi - Rotation (Dub)
BunZer0 & Kamine - Reciprocity (Dub)
Taiko - Grouchy (Dub)
D-Operation Drop - Outer (Dub)
Taiko - Trickets (NoMad)
Gantz & Content - The Attractor (Dub)
Dark Harmonics - Brickroc (Dub)
Taiko - Faction (Dub)
Subreachers - Darka (Dub)
Taiko - Deku (Dub)
Egoless - Whop Riddim (Dub)
Wayfarer & Konvex - Omerta (Dub)
Taiko - Fallacy (feat. Beezy) (Dub)
Disonata - Lost Souls (Riskotheque & Locust Lung AKA Klax Remix) (Dub)
Taiko - Unrest (Dub)
Wayfarer - Fac (Dub)
Taiko - Nuka (Dub)
Kanjira - Pantheon Tusk (Dub)
Taiko - Waylay (Dub)
D-Operation Drop - Temple Run (Dub)
Subreachers & Taiko - Yinz (Dub)
J.Robinson & Gantz - Misread (Soundman Chronicles)
Wayfarer & Taiko - Untitled (Dub)
Kanjira - Ojama Black (Dub)
Konvex - Carrion (Dub)
Piezo & D-Operation Drop - Trench (Dub)

Taiko - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

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Featuring: Wayfarer

Wayfarer brought, with breakthrough track 'Fall Of The Zulu', a startling new energy to the 140 sound; and this fresh momentum was no mere gust, but something which has maintained a continued presence and influence. Bringing an intensely percussive sound and a sense of wide-ranging roots, the template has been flipped and re-extrapolated: the basslines and mid-ranges are still there, but in service to the groove of the drums rather than the other way around. We caught up with Wayfarer to discuss his take on this, and he's also contributed something of a showcase mix to our exclusive mix series.


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

Wayfarer: My name's Alex, I'm from Nottingham and live in Aberdeen where I study Philosophy. I think I'd just describe my music as energetic, often dark, 140 music.

H: When did you start making beats, and had you been involved in any other musical projects before Wayfarer? What was it that lead you towards producing?

W: I've always made music, for almost as long as I remember, and had messed around with music software when trying to record other stuff for bands when I was a kid but I only persevered on the technical side of production at the start of 2012. I made it something of a resolution to go for this vision I had, and that's how this project started.



H: There's a, for want of a better word, 'worldly' or 'global' sound in your music: do you draw from a wide range of influences to achieve this?

W: Absolutely, I like the description 'worldly' - I guess that's one reason why I settled on the name of my alias. (That, and it's a bit of a homage to the Burial remix of Jamie Woon's cover of 'Wayfaring Stranger'). When I started in January, I felt like there were a handful of producers being emulated by a lot of people and things were starting to sound too clinically stripped back and a bit soulless; I listen to everything from Muslimgauze, James Brown, Helios, Burial, Tycho, Erik Satie to Fela Kuti and I love the organic energy in live music. I try to inject as much of that as I can into my tunes without sacrificing too many elements which make a tune 'danceable'. Ultimately though, I guess I want my music to grab people by their genitalia when they hear it on a system, just like every other dance music producer.

H: You recently had your debut release on J.Robinson's Tribe12 imprint; how did it feel to be included on such a strong release, and to see it reach the top of Juno's weekly chart? Do you have plans to release more music via Tribe12?

W: The 'Levitation EP' is something I am immensely proud to be a part of - all the people on that release are fantastically innovative producers and there are some huge artists involved with the label, all at the top of their game. I'm really excited to be sharing a roster with them and it pushes me to work as hard as possible on my music. I think J.Rob and I share certain ideals about dubstep and he's good to work with, I definitely want to stay close and I have plans to release more on the label.



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

W: The mix, which I will just say now was done using a completely battered little Numark mixer, is about half my tunes and half contributions from other producers: essentially a bit of showcase of what I've been up to for the past months and a few new, unheard bits. I have been sent so much brilliant music recently, it was really difficult to pick tunes and I felt bad leaving out certain tracks that I really like. Essentially, the selection are tracks which bare some relation to the kind of vibe I go for. Out to all those who let me include their music and everyone else who continually send me great tunes.

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

I have a four track EP due on Tribe12 in the near future, no dates yet. Another release, hopefully a 12" for Shaman, is looking likely at the moment, I'm working on the details. Equally though, I'm hoping to secure a few gigs soon: I think the prospect of playing out is just as exciting as release opportunities. I build tunes for systems and I want to deliver new productions that way, rather than on Soundcloud or through other peoples' radio shows. I rarely get to play out because there is a very small scene for any kind of bass music in the city I live in. Still, I've only been at this for seven months so I'm happy with how fast things have progressed and I have only thank the listeners for that.

Enjoy the mix, and thanks to Willum and Sam for the support - much appreciated!

Download: Wayfarer - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix


Tracklist:

Wayfarer - Untitled [Dub]
Wayfarer - The Hunter [Dub]
Gantz - Tesseract [Dub]
FNC - Code Signal [Dub]
Gutcha - Into Your Mind [Dub]
Wayfarer - Untitled [Dub]
J.Robinson & Shima - Tundra [Dub]
Server - Them [Dub]
Perverse - Fucking Insanity [Dub]
Wayfarer - Jotnar [Forthcoming Tribe12]
Wayfarer - Meiji [Dub]
Kaiju - Centipede Style [Dub]
Wayfarer - Spitting Fire [Dub]
Wayfarer - Gozu [Forthcoming Tribe12]
Wayfarer - Shiro Ishi [Forthcoming Tribe12]
Kaiju - Double Dragon [Dub]
Server - The Wanderer  [Dub]
Anex & Disonata - Scratch The Surface [Dub]
Pheral - Tribe [Dub]
Wayfarer - Shaman [Dub]
Wayfarer -Fall of the Zulu VIP [Dub]

Wayfarer - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

.Preacha.