- DC BREAKS ARE COMING BACK DOWN UNDER -

DC Breaks are coming back down under!

The DnB masters are returning for another Aus/NZ tour playing 10 shows in 10 cities.

Biography

Anyone with a passing interest in the busy drum n bass scene have heard of DC Breaks. After all, they are on the verge of taking their popularity to the next level. Over the last two years the duo have become a staple on the global DJ circuit which include multiple festival appearances like the UK's NASS Festival, Arcadia stage at Glastonbury (you know, the fire breathing spider stage), USA's Beyond Wonderland, and Prague’s infamous Let it Roll.

Since signing to Andy C’s Ram Records they’ve carved a reputation for delivering world class remixes for some of the biggest names in pop. Their work on singles by Paloma Faith, Lady Gaga, Lana del Rey, Tinie Tempah and others, and a production for Example (a cut featured on the ‘Playing in the Shadows’ album), have made the world take notice. From their song writing ability to their wide-ranging DJ support, the producers’ output has shone through in playlists across the dance music spectrum. From BBC Radio1’s Annie Mac, to 1xtra’s Mistajam and revered music icon Zane Lowe, they’ve received a plethora of A-list spins.

Their recently released debut album 'Different Breed’ (signed to RAM Records), has been met with huge anticipation from fans and the music media alike, and has gone a long way to cement their reputation as a future scene leader. To celebrate their debut LP release, the duo will head to Australia and New Zealand for their biggest Antipodean tour yet, a 10-date monster which will see them visit all the major cities. 

I was lucky enough to have a little chat with them about their favorite shows, production technique and a few other bit and pieces. Check it out!

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Q. Tell us how crazy it is for you to look back on your journey through music. From the start of your production days to touring the globe and releasing music on the leading record labels. How does it all make you feel?

Oh yeah definitely!  I don’t think we ever even consciously did it either, our progress was quite incremental in the beginning, and then we suddenly looked around us and we’re signing to Ram Records, DJing side by side with the likes of Andy C and High Contrast etc etc…. I guess we still feel amazed by it all, and lucky!

Q. Describe your sound in 3 words... 

Bass, Drums and…

Q. From previous tours around Australia/NZ, is there a specific gig that you are looking forward to the most? 

I think the reason we and many other DJs love touring this part of the world is that all the shows tend to be great and we look forward to each and every one!  If there had to be one which stands out above the rest, then it’s probably Perth - I think we’ve played there more than anywhere else and we’ve played several clubs and festivals so we know it well.  The crowd there are really into bass music.

Q. If you could have ANY set up(equipment wise) that you wanted for your live performances, what would you have? 

It would be great to be able to replay our tracks with a live band of some sort, and actually be able to improvise live the gnarly basslines.  But we still haven’t figured out how to make it work in our heads yet!

Q. Now for the same question we ask every artist, What program and plug-ins are you using to write your tunes? 

We’ve been on Logic since the beginning.  We keep meaning to check out other DAWs but we tend to have too much work on our plates to take the time out!

Our favourite plug ins are probably the Slate Digital stuff for EQs and comps, Fabfilter and Sound Toys for more creative plugs, a few Waves ones, and then Serum and Predator for nasty bass sounds, and the Virus TI for the more lush pads and strings.

Q. If tomorrow was your last day to live, What would your last meal be? (you can have anything you can imagine) 

Roast Beef Forerib, Chianti, Dauphinoise Potatoes and some buttery salty kale

Q. most memorable show you’ve played to date...

Arcadia at Glastonbury 2015, in that enormous spider which shoots fire out of its head.  Yep that one.

Q . If you could see any artist, dead or alive, who would it be? 

Jimi Hendrix

Q. What advice would you give to aspiring artists? 

Always try to find your own sound, something that defines you and seperates you from the crowd.  It could be a certain synth or two, or the way youmix down, your drums etc.

Q. And finally... What's next for DC Breaks? 

We’ve just done the UKF Podcast #96 so check that out, and we have a remix for London Grammar coming very soon.  And then, well, I guess its onto the next album!!

- RENE LAVICE COMES DOWN UNDER -

 It's been a good week for us! Two RAM Records heavy hitters in a week.

This time we catch up with Canadian Drum and Bass producer, Rene LaVice. He hits Australian shores on the 17th of June to kick off his tour of 5 shows.

17th June - HQ Complex - Adelaide

18th June - Bodega - Wellington

19th June - Grumpy's - Melbourne

24th June - Chinese Laundry - Sydney

25th June - Villa Nightclub - Perth

 

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1. Take us back to the beginning... When did you start and how does it feel to be where you are now?

I started in Toronto, Canada. Where I was born and grew up. It feels great. It feels strange in a way too, because after all of the success I've had, I can sense that I'm on the cusp of something even bigger once again. It's not as I pictured it, it's strange, but good.

2. How did you decide to join the Ram records team?

Andy C got in touch with me about the music I had been making. I was releasing on other labels and some of my music was sent to him as well. I was enjoying what I was doing, and Ram wasn't particularly on my radar at the time in terms of a potential home base. I was different and didn't fit the mold, but they were into that. It gave me an opportunity to release my own vinyls and full length albums, those were things I was really excited to do. It was risky signing to small label in the industry climate that I did, but for the most part it worked out and it's been great. It really helped with promoting what I was doing, especially in a scene that often prides it's self on being overly modest about everything. When I asked other people what they thought of the idea I got mixed reactions but it was too unique an opportunity to pass up so I went for it. Sometimes you'll never know until you take the leap.


3. You’re coming back to Aus/NZ this month! What are you most excited for?

Sun. haha! But also just seeing everyone who's there. I've toured OZ/NZ 3 times already, and it's full of really lovely people who have great energy and who are really enjoyable to hang out with. I know the shows are going to be off the chain. It's such an educated audience, I love switching the fader over to the next track and seeing an instant reaction in the crowd, it's thrilling.

4. Tell us about playing gigs in Canada, how does it compare to the rest of the world?

Playing any kind of dance music in Canada, but especially Drum and Bass is wicked. It's got that vibe music like OZ/NZ where Canadians love to have a good time and have fun, but at the same time they know the whole history, even the young ones. It makes for really exciting events that are really diverse, there isn't one singular sound, they're into different artists all the time.

5. Your top 5 tracks to play right now...

off the dome.... Air Force 1 (always), Smooth - Tinnitus, Helium Remix VIP, Culture shock - Steam machine, and this new dubplate I made that I won’t say the name of

6. Talk us through your production set up. What program and plug ins do you like to use?

I'd rather keep it a mystery. I don't think it matters.

7. What do you love most about Drum and Bass?

The way that it allows for uniqueness and real expression. Even the really mind numbing hardcore stuff, it's got a soul to it.

8. If you had to spend the rest of your life in one isle of a super market, what would it be... and why?

The pet accessory or pet food isle because chicks dig guys with dogs

9. If you could see any artist live, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Motorhead. because I loved that band for years, it really inspired me, and I never got the chance. That's going to sound cliché because of how Lemmy's death blew up on social media.... I really didn't understand why that happened. Half the people I saw sharing it didn't know who the fuck he was. There are so many answers for this though, there are a lot that I would see!

10. And finally... What’s next for Rene Lavice???

The never ending world tour continues, the next single is in the pipeline, the podcast is coming back revamped (René LaVice Radio on iTunes), and there are some other projects that I literally can't legally announce yet that are going to be EPIC, so please check out my facebook fanpage and stay tuned :)

- TEDDY KILLERZ DO AUSTRALIA -

 

Australia, are you ready for another filthy Drum and Bass party?

The Russian trio are back for another Aus tour and are about to hit a club in your city!

You can catch Teddy Killerz in 

Sydney(June 24)

Perth(June 25th)

Adelaide(July 1st)

Gold Coast(July 2nd)

Melbourne(July 2nd)

Here's a little chat with boys!

 

1. Take us back to the beginning... When did Teddy Killerz start and how does it feel to be where you are now?

 Teddy Killerz were born in summer 2012 by union of Place 2b, Paimon and Garud. Anton & Oleg already had bunch of releases before we started TK. As for now - there has been loads happening & we got big things coming! We are happy to be part of RAMily, and we still can't believe that it's all happened so quickly. We've played so many shows, been to so many new places & met so many incredible new people. It's awesome hehe:)

2. How did you decide to join the Ram records team?

 I think since we started we felt that RAM would be the right place for us. It's not easy be a drum & bass act on US labels, so the decision to join RAM was based on 2 things - geography & the friendly relationship we had with the RAM team:)


3. You've got a pretty stacked Aus/NZ tour lined up for June/July. What are you most excited for?

It's our second time coming to Aus / NZ & we are super excited! We have so many new tunes to play out and we can't wait our Aus / NZ fans to hear them:)


4. Tell us about playing gigs in Russia, how does it compare to the rest of the world?

Gigs in Russia are not that different. The biggest shows like Pirate Station & World of Drum & Bass happen mainly in Moscow & St. Petersburg. As for the smaller cities - shows happen there less often. There is also new festival to check out - Alfa Future People, which is getting bigger & it's the first electronic dance music festival in Russia which can be compared to the world's best festivals with huge line ups & an extremely cool atmosphere:)


5. Teddy Killerz top 5 tracks to play right now...

1. June Miller & Teddy Killerz - Wildlife
2. Dirtyphonics - Anonymous
3. Decimal Bass - Work For Nothing
4. Annix - Crash
5. Posij - Hunger.

6. Talk us through your production set up.. What program and plug ins do you like to use?

 As far as there are 3 of us - i think we use every available software lol:) FL & Cubase are our main DAWs, but we also use Ableton, and Logic quiet a lot. As for plugins - dozens of them from Fabfilter, Voxengo, Sonalksis, Melda, Waves etc. Speaking about sound design - it's wont be a big surprise, but as many other producers nowadays we are active users of Serum, FM 8 etc.

7. What do you love most about Bass music?

Erhm... Never thought about it:) Bass?
 
8. How did you come up with the idea behind your name?

It's not something serious. We just had fun trying to find a name for the project & then decided to go with something a bit silly & funny to avoid typical "serious" & cool drum and bass names:)

9. If you could see any artist live, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Never saw Gesaffelstein live - I gues thats the show I want to watch most atm :)

10. And finally... What's next for Teddy Killerz???

Big collaboration project coming soon:) Can't tell more details atm.

- PART 2 - FRANKEE - AUS/NZ TOUR -

Here is part 2 of the previous post.

As part of the DC Breaks, Frankee tour we were also lucky enough to have a little chat with the other RAM records genius on the tour, Frankee.

If you read the post below you can see all the right places to see him in Australia! 

Thanks for the chat mate!

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1. Your style is very diverse in a way that you don't really stick to one sound of Drum and Bass. You've written dark techy stuff but also smoother vocally stuff with rolling baselines. How do you approach each track from a production point of view?

Each track is a different track and in the same respect the process that I go through differs. It really depends on my mood that day/night. There are so many factors that will decide my inspiration for the session.

2. How did you get involved with RAM records?

About 4 years ago I was at a fabric Ram night and I was loaded with 3 demo c.d.s to try and give out. I managed to get them to Andy, Scott and Ray Which luckily enough got some attention. I have however been a massive ram fanboy since i can remember so Ram have been involved in my life for a very long time.

3. Are you excited to hit the shores of Aus/NZ? What are you looking forward to?

Excited is an understatement! I am well and truly buzzing! I’ve already done 2 shows (Wellington and Christchurch) and they have been unreal! If the following shows are anything like the previous then i am a happy man.

4. You've had a pretty awesome run of festival gigs recently, which gigs have been the highlights?

Honestly, Wellington and Christchurch have been a big highlight. Such a responsive bunch and they know there tunes!

5. We're pretty excited to hear you and DC Breaks under one roof, what can we expect from the show?

I can speak for D.C Breaks and myself and say we are excited to be out here. Expect Complete mayhem, loud and proud dnb and generally a heavy party.

6. Which one of your productions was the most fun to write and why?

Im having loads of fun writing my new material. I had a bit of writers block recently and I’m at the other side of it now so I’m really enjoying getting really musical at the moment. If i had to pick one already released track it would be gully simply because it only took me a matter of days to make. Those tracks are quite often the best.

7. Tell us about your production set up, what software and plug-ins are you using?

I use logic 9, Some Mackie 824’s and some plugins including Fab filter, T-racks, waves and various other stuff. I would really like to try some of the analogue emulation plugins like Slate and Uad. Guys if you’re reading…. :-)

8. Standard Frankee live show set up...

3-4 decks, a mixer, some loud and clear Monitors, cool lighting, some beer and depending on what mood I’m in some cheeky shots of vodka.

9. What do you love most about Drum and Bass?

Everything, Im truly and deeply in love with it.

10. And finally... What's next for Frankee?

Lots more exciting gigs, A remix which will be coming out in April and an imminent release on Ram which we are currently finalising.

- DC BREAKS - FRANKEE- AUS/NZ TOUR -

It is now very well known that DC Breaks and Frankee are on the continent and well into their Australia/NZ tour. 

They're in New Zealand as we speak and will be hitting Australian shores as of the 3rd of March!

I also managed to have a little chat with 

DC Breaks and they seem pretty keen to be back down to the southern hemisphere again!

enjoy!

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1. You two guys have been one of the more talked about acts in the Drum and Bass scene over the past few years because of the continuous massive tracks you've been writing one after another, how is this success story making you feel?

Well we write stuff that we like first and foremost so if other people are feeling it too then that's great! We spend a ridiculous amount of time working on our music so it's really satisfying when people love the tracks and want to play them or rave to them.

2. You’re on board with one of the most driving Drum and Bass labels in the world, RAM records. Tell us how you got this massive hook up and how has it felt since you jumped on the roller coaster of RAM?

Andy C first got in touch with us after he heard some of our tunes on a small label we were releasing on in Scotland. It was around the time that Dan and I had started collaborating on tracks together and Ram's interest really spurred us on to write more stuff as 'DC Breaks' (previously we were called Kryptik and Samurai). This was back in 2004 (I think!), since then we've managed to keep going and growing and developing our sound and reaching more and more people around the world, which is awesome because it's brought us all the way out here to represent!

3. Tell us about your live set up at a typical DC Breaks show... 

We play off 4 CDJs, which means we can play a lot of music, typically about 65 tunes in a 90 minute set. It makes our sets very energetic and allows us to cover a lot of ground within the genre as we like to play lots of different sub genres of DnB.

4. Your 5 favorite tracks to play live at the moment...

There's a ton of good DnB about at the moment. Noisia & The Upbeats' 'Dead Limit' is still smashing it for me. Also really liking Tantrum Desire 'Nationwide Rocker', June Miller and Teddy Killerz 'Wildlife', Bensley 'Tiptoe' and Andy C 'New Era'

5. What software and plug-ins are you using to write your music?

We use Logic, tons of different plug ins, some notable ones are, Serum, the Slate plug ins, Ozone and all the NI stuff!

6. If you had to spend the rest of your life in one aisle of a supermarket, which one would it be and why?

Well if there was a hardware aisle I'd go for that so I could build some kind of A-Team style tank and bust the hell out of there, haha!

7. What are you most excited about for your Aus/NZ tour?

Honestly the best thing about playing out here is the crowds you get, they're so responsive and up for raving. We've played Wellington and Christchurch so far on the tour and both nights were great, everyone here just fucking loves it!

8. Which musical artists do you look to the most for inspiration?

I find inspiration from all over the place, I love it when you find a random old sample that can spark an idea off for a whole track. I've started going back to old vinyl to find ideas, it was something I always used to do and was very common back in the day but not something that people really do anymore so much. Sometimes you can just find some absolute GOLD.

9. If tomorrow was your last day to live, what would you have for dinner?

Chateaubriand, a ridiculous Bordeaux, salted caramel truffles, cheese!

10. And finally... What's next for DC Breaks?

Our next single will be out in March, we're touring extensively here and on Europe and our debut album will be out on Ram / BMG later this year.

- AN INTERVIEW WITH DATSIK -

Datsik

I managed to get an interview with one of todays biggest bass producers!

He's been on the top of the charts for a few years now and hasn't stopped touring the world to back up all his massive hits.

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Q.  Tell us how crazy it is for you to look back on your journey through music. From the start of your production days, to becoming a record label owner and one of the most established bass producers in the world. How does it all make you feel?

A.  It's definitely a trip to see how far this music thing for me has come.. I remember working in my bedroom on old school hiphop beats having fun when I was a youngster, thinking how amazing it would be to just do that for the rest of my life. That feeling hasn't changed, but now its bigger and badder then its ever been and now I have access to all the toys I could have only dreamed of as a kid!
 
Q.  This time round you're doing more club shows rather than festivals. Is this something you chose specifically or is it just the way the tour turned out?

A.  It always just kind of pans out based on whatever is happening in Australia at the time. I've done StereoSonic twice and it was completely amazing both times, but there's something about an intimate club show that the festivals can't really offer. I'm so stoked to reconnect and party with all the peeps that listen to my music down under and throw down some fresh dubplates for all the heads, its been a minute!
 
Q.  From previous tours around Australia/NZ, is there a specific gig that you are looking forward to the most?

A.  Honestly each city has its own thing going. I love how Perth are DnB die hards, I love that Sydney always ends up being the biggest show. It gets me stoked how many people have come out in the past in Sydney, and how well roundedness and accepting you guys are! It's refreshing and very pleasant as a DJ to be able to play what I want to the fullest and to have such an open and educated crowd.
 
Q.  If you could have ANY set up(equipment wise) that you wanted for your live performances, what would you have?

A.  I pretty much have everything I want already up there. I keep it simple with my setup but make it go a long way, getting rid of the things I dont need and adding things I could use. There's something to be said about keeping it not too complicated as it can get distracting from the reason I'm actually there, which is to have a good time and throw down some big tracks! That being said I go pretty nuts on the controllers that I use.. I use a Launch Pad and Launch Control out of Ableton and have remapped the DJM900 to my own effects. When I perform i almost always have 3-4 faders up on the mixer for every mix that I do.. For example, I could be double dropping 2 tracks while playing a vocal on the third and chopping up a sweep on the fourth. I really like to experiment with this kind of stuff when I'm up there doing my thing!

Q.  Now for the same question we ask every artist,  What program and plug-ins are you using to write your tunes? 

A.  Haha, loaded question but ill keep it as brief as i can. I use Ableton, and almost all UAD (Universal Audio) plug ins. They require a separate processor to run as it's all emulation of hardware, but they sound SO AMAZING. I also use a lot of Fabfilter Saturn to even out baselines, bringing up the highs and turning down the lows a bit to make them sound more balanced. Massive and Serum are my favorite synths to make baselines.
 
Q.  If tomorrow was your last day to live, What would your last meal be? (you can have anything you can imagine)

A.  Cecil's perogies out of Kelowna BC. That shit is SO BOMB and its gotta be the number one thing I miss from Canada now that I live in Los Angeles.
 
Q. most memorable show you've played to date...

A.  Shambhala out of BC every year changes the game for me and gives me a chance to reset for the year being able to see all my close home town friends. That festival is perfect for me.

 Q . If you could see any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?

A.  I really want to see Billy Joel in concert haha, I've been listening to a lot of his shit lately late night .. he's a don!

 Q.  Any finally... What's next for Datsik?

A.  New EP should be dropping very soon which I'm ecstatic about! I'm gonna play all the new tracks off of it on this tour. See you crazy bastards soon and much love! 

- UPS AND DOWNS: A LITTLE CHAT WITH JUNE MILLER -

I noticed June Miller when I heard their remix of Delta Heavy's track Reborn. I heard it on a mix and immediately needed to have the WAV file on my iphone. These guys are pushing out some very cool sounds and are still managing to really hold their own style.

Here's a brand new remix
(updated 29th March)

 

 Here's a teaser of their EP Ups and Downs.

 

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Please scroll down to read Dubstep Democracy's exclusive interview with June Miller.   
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1. Tell us about you musical background... where did it all start for you and how has it taken you to where you are now?

We started somewhere in 2006 I think after playing in bands for years. There was a night in our hometown Utrecht called Blackout run by the Black Sune Empire guys and we decided to go there and have a look. Somehow we were immediately caught up by the energy and vibes at the party and from that moment we started buying records, learning how to mix and making our own music eventually.


 2. You guys are smashing out some ripper DnB anthems, what does it take to be able to make such a monster track?

Looooaaaaads of production hours! I don't think we are natural talents when it comes to production so the only way to get where you want is by putting a lot of time into the thing you love. When we started we didn't know anyone making Dnb so we basically had to figure everything out ourselves by trial and error. I think the fact that we've played in bands makes us focusing on creating a song that's interesting from the first second to the last second as opposed to bashing out mixing tunes.



3. How did you come up with the name June Miller?

It was an old song of the band.



4. If tomorrow was your last day on earth... what would you last dinner be?

Hahaha, good question! Just one meal, oh god, it's pretty much impossible to answer but lets just go with an old classic: a reaaally spicy aubergine curry with a nice chutney and peshwari-naans. You can't go wrong with Indian food :-)



5. Who are your biggest musical inspirations?

For Dnb I would say Noisia, without a doubt the production masters of the dnb world. When we heard "The tide" for the first time we were totally blown away! And when you think of it, it's still sounding so fresh for a tune of almost ten years old. It's a great inspiration for us.



6. June Miller's current top 5 tracks...

Frankee - Drop it low // Frankee is definitely one of our favourite artists at the moment, it's raw, energetic, refreshing and above all uncompromising.

Fade - Future step // A great fusion between deep, dark and dancefloor! Beatport link

Mind Vortex - Underworld // All about that ridiculous first drop! (Mind Vortex - Underworld)

Maztek - ThreePointZero // Maztek's new album is so good, any tune could be picked for our top 5, but this one stands out the most, production is top notch. (Maztek - Three Point Zero)


Signal - Existence // Signal is one of Hollands new great talents, get to know this young guy! 



7. What is your favourite element of Drum ands Bass?

Energy! We both love all kinds of music, but energy is what makes dnb stand apart from other music. We come from punk/metal and one thing that's very similar is the energy in the music and live performances of both genres. Playing out music and see people picking up the energy and vibe is one of the best things about Dnb.


8. Now the question you probably get asked everyday... What Software and VST's are you using to write your music

We're pretty much completely software based apart from a guitar and vocals, no hardware. We're using Logic 9 plus loads of vst's, too many to mention!



9. if you could use any equipment you wanted, what would be your ideal live set up for gigs?

That would be 8 decks and a custom made mixer with 8 channels and two headphone outputs so I don't have to wear Mark's sweaty headphones :-)

10. Can you tell us about any particular projects that you're excited for?

Yeah, we've just finished our new EP on RAM called "ups & downs" which is coming out the 18th January. We're very happy with this EP because it really shows why we love Dnb: full spectrum, from deeper melodic bits to hard dancefloor bangers.


11. Any finally, what's next for June Miller

We're currently finalizing our album for RAM which will be released later this year.


JUNE MILLER AUDIO
 
UPS & DOWNS PRE-ORDER

 

- KOAN SOUND DOES AMERICA -

To all of our North American readers, we haven't forgotten about you. 

We have noticed the high numbers of readers from North America and we are going to start catering to you guys a little more by updating cool tours and music releases that we notice through our network.

 So lets start with this one!

The worlds favorite Glitch-Hop producers have started their American tour.

If you love Koan Sound as much as we do and you live in one of the cities in the above list, you must catch these boys!

Or if you already know them but you'd like to get to know them a bit better, then please click HERE to read an interview we did with them a while back.

- A CHAT WITH LOADSTAR -

Last week I was lucky enough to have a little email chat with one of my favourite DnB crews out there. Loadstar have been one of the leaders in the UK DnB scene for a little while now and are not slowing down AT ALL.

These guys are responsible for some of the best dance floor smashers out there at the moment including Warrior, Losing You and a bunch more.


CHECK OUT WAT THEY HAVE TO SAY!

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1. How did Loadstar start? Tell us about your musical journey that has taken you to where you are now. 

Nick: Gav and I met around 2005, he was newly signed to Ram under the moniker 'Xample' and we had both moved to Bristol around the same time. We started off writing tunes together a few times a week after we finished our office jobs and we gradually started to have a collection of music that came out on Ram as 'Xample & Lomax'. A few years and a few releases later we had a meeting with the guys at Ram who told us we should do an album together. That was the start of 'Loadstar' really; when we decided to change our name and work on this new project focussing on a different sound and bringing it together under one name. Last year the album finally came out, it took us a long time working on it but we were happy to get it out there!

2. Who are your biggest musical influences? who do you listen to, to get the creative juices flowing?

Nick: The first electronic music I really got into was Chemical Brothers with 'Exit Planet Dust' - it just connected with me straight away and I was a massive fan....soon after that it was Prodigy and early rave stuff. Bukem and Wax Doctor got me drawn into Dnb, the atmospheres and fast breaks really sucked me in, it was such a cool futuristic sound, and from there all I ever wanted to do was try and write tunes. Gav started off listening to the rave packs and then became a massive Dillinja fan and labels such as Hardware and Hardleaders. He started DJing a lot and ran his own night out of Liverpool and totally immersed himself in the scene from early on...he's never looked back!


3. Have you guys always been all about Drum and Bass or was there other genres that you were producing before DnB?

Gav: It was always dnb from the start. We were just fascinated with the production and sounds, it seemed way more exciting than any other genre of dance music...plus we learnt a lot on the technical side, using lots of hardware and sampling, it was a great place to start with production.
4. What DAW and VST's are you using to produce you tunes?

Gav: Ableton whilst dipping in and out of Reason. We don't use loads of Vsts, but we are big fans of the UAD stuff and we can't stop buying them. Hardware synths give us the best results, we have a Virus and a Prophet P12, but we sometimes use sylenth, massive, omnisphere, the usual stuff really. we try to get a good balance of sampling in synthesis in our music.

5. I like to change it up and not only ask musical questions so... If you guys had to spend the rest of you're lives in one aisle of a super market, which one would it be?

Nick: It's either gonna be eat or drink myself to death....so i'll go with the frozen dessert section?
Gav: DVD bargain bucket

6. Biggest show you've played to date...?

Nick: EDC Vegas last year....that was pretty special.

7. What can we expect from your Australia/NZ tour?

Gav: What's great about coming over there is that people really love the dnb, so we can play whatever we normally would when we are back in Europe, and that is a great thing.... sometimes when you come to America for example you to have to try a few things and try and gauge crowd reaction, but in Oz and NZ they just fuckin HAVE IT! and we love it there.

8. 5 favourite tracks to play right now...

Loadstar - Midnight Run
Delta Heavy - Apollo
TC Showtek remix
Dimension - Crowd Reaction VIP
Kove - Summit

9. What is your live set up for shows?

CDJs and a bottle of vodka

10. And Finally... What's next for Loadstar?

Check out our new single that drops on the 6th April, Ramm160 'Stepped Outside' / 'Under Pressure'
You can catch up with us at www.facebook.com/loadstarmusic and listen to stuff at www.soundcloud.com/loadstar
Can't wait to see you down under!!

Grab their brand new EP Stepped Outside/Under Pressure 



Or, any of the Loadstar mixes!

- THE AL GORE RHYTHM METHOD -

This week I was lucky enough to catch up with TAGRM from Milwaukee,WI.

(for the people who suck at geography, it's in the USA). 

I first discovered their twerky trap stuff through Vaski's podcast. And their name "THE AL GORE RHYTHM METHOD" left me thinking, how the fuck did they come up with that name.

So here's a short interview with TAGRM. followed by a freebie!

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1. Ok so I'm going to put the most obvious question first... Can you please explain (in detail) how you came up with your name???
  

Red: Believe it or not we were in After-school woodworking seminar together as kids, and Al Gore was our political pen pal. After like the fifth correspondence, he revealed to us that in the future we had one goal; form The Al Gore Rhythm Method.
 

2.  Can you tell us about your musical adventure. How you guys hooked up and how you got to where you are now?

Red: I started producing music around two/three years ago, prior to that I was in a metal band for several years. Paddy had been producing for about three years at this point. I had always hit him up with my tunes and asked for pointers since he had been a big influence in my production and sound pursuit. After a couple of demos/tracks he suggested we start working together on a Moombahton project, and I was all about it. So we set out to sit down and write the very first few TAGRM tracks over the Spring Break of that year, and the rest is history.

Paddy: No one really showed me any music until I found The Internet. Shortly thereafter, I was in some type of live trance band that I thought was a jam band because no one told me what trance was. Later on I became a studio dude and that's what I do now.

3. You guys are making some pretty fun, upbeat Trap at the moment, is it mainly trap for you or are you constantly exploring new different types of electronic music?

Red: I can safely say we are always experimenting with anything we enjoy. Be it trap/twerk/128/bass or whatever, if it sounds good to us it sounds good. We are always adapting new sounds and trying new techniques. Being confined to one genre really is more of a setback than a progression, and we are all about furthering our abilities in any way we can.
Paddy: We pretty much can find positive vibes in any genre. We tend to steer towards ones where we hear a gap of something not being done that we would like to do.

4. For all us Aussies who haven't made it over to America yet, can you tell us about your music scene? What's hot and what's not in the world of Bass Music?

Red: First off, for all you Aussies out there reading this I have to say we see you! And we cannot wait to get there. The US dance scene is becoming strong, innovative, fun, and new with every passing day. Being from a smaller city than the better known “big cities,” we have a great first hand experience of how poppin’ the scene has become in the past few years. One of our very favorite places to perform in Milwaukee (our home town), has seen a crazy amount of pick up in attendance and enthused kids coming out to gigs. I couldn’t be happier, I love that people  i getting pumped for dance music. This is just one part of the states, but in all our travels it is safe to say that it is getting pretty wild in a great way.

Paddy: I just wish people here knew how to dance.

5. What Software, hardware and plug-ins are you guys using?

Red: We use Ableton 9 and a pretty standard array of VSTs. We are always looking for new and exciting stuff to try.

Paddy: Yep. That and tons of resampling and 20+ VST effect racks until things start to sound okay.

6. Favourite city and club you've played to date?

Red: That is a tough one for sure. We just played a festival in a hotel in Madison, WI close to home for us. And the production was just so immense, I was super blown away by it. Otherwise playing over a balcony in Chicago to a jam packed club was also super dope! But we have only just begun seeing the cool places, and we are super stoked to see more!

7. Who do you look up to as an inspirational artist?

Red: For me probably, Boaz van de Beatz, Tiga, Desert Dwellers, Astronomar (and a ton of the Main Course Records crew). Most importantly though would have to be Prince. 

Paddy: Right now things are still really up in the air. It’s exciting to see artists embrace electronic music in different ways. That being said What So Not, Mat Zo, Diplo and the people he brings together for tracks, Eptic, LAXX (Basically the whole Never Say Die label) Friendzone, Odesza and everyone Red mentioned is crushing. I’m definitely leaving some out, but yeah I get pretty inspired.


8. What do you guys do when you’re not doing the music thing?

Red: Exploring new places, catching some down time. Everything and anything can spark a new idea, or inspire me to finish an old project.
Paddy: Graphic design and coding and reading and partying.

9. What artist/producer/DJ, dead or alive, would you give anything to see live?

Red: For me either The Beatles, or Prince. Prince is by far the most entertaining and captivating performer that I have ever seen in media.

Paddy: Death From Above 1979

10. And finally, what's next for TAGRM?

Red: The future is unknown, but we are always pushing forward to the next opportunity/goal/dream. The sky is certainly the limit for us, and I am stoked to see where we are at in the next couple of years.
Paddy: Baller West Coast Mansion

Follow TAGRM here:

Soundcloud

Facebook

Twitter

And the freebie!!!

- A CHAT WITH SPL -

SPL

One of my favorite Dubstep producers hailing from the U.S.A. was kind enough to give us a few minutes out of his busy schedual. I've had several people asking me to add SPL to my interview list to find out more info on how he makes his music.

Well now you can find that info and plenty more!

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Here are some free tunes


 or click HERE so head to his soundcloud page

1. How did you come up with the name SPL?

I was reading about audio engineering techniques and nerdy music stuff and I came across "sound pressure level".  Abbreviated as SPL, sound pressure level is the term most commonly used to measure the intensity of sound.  Decibels are a measurement of SPL.  My name is Sam Pool so when I stumbled across this term it occurred to me to use it as an artist name.  It's a pretty nerdy name.

2. How would you compare the U.S. Bass scene to other countries?

I'd say that compared to other western countries the bass scene is "new".  Maybe that's not the best way to describe it because there have been Drum & Bass, Jungle, and Breakbeat parties since those forms of music spawned, but this is the first time it's seen any sort of mainstream popularity.  I use to tour almost exclusively in the UK, Europe, Russian, New Zealand, South America and Australia without playing much at home, but these days most of my shows are in the U.S.


3. How did you get into Bass music and production?

I got into production because I loved the way synthesizers were being used in dance music and I wanted to figure out how to make those cool sounds myself.  Then I went to some raves and it really changed a lot for me.  Once I heard some records from Kemal & Rob Data aka Konflict I was hooked and I wanted to explore that style.  I just dug deeper and deeper at that point.


4. Most memorable gig you played to date?

That's a really tough question.  Since different gigs are memorable for different reasons.  There are two that really stuck with me though.  One was this headlining gig in Kiev in the Ukraine where I played for 8000 people in 2009.  I was really blown away at the response.  I was playing hard Drum & Bass at the time which made it even more of a unique experience.  Another memorable gig was probably the 2nd rave I ever played in my home town of Bend, Oregon.  I got a really warm response from the crowd and it's sort of what addicted me to performing live.


5. Where do you see Bass Music going from this point?

I think Drum & Bass is going to make a major comeback and see a greater audience than ever.  I'm seeing the start of it already and i'm really excited to watch it grow.


6. One artist/producer/band, dead or alive, would you give anything to see live?

I still haven't seen Tool and that's probably currently at the top of my list.

7. What DAW and Plug-ins are you using to write music?

I'm using Ableton live and a mix of Native Instruments as well as other plugins.  I really love the Fab Filter stuff as well as iZotope stuff as well.


8. If you could have any set up you wanted for live gigs, what would it be?

Currently my favorite to play on is 4 x CDJ 2000s linked up to a Pioneer Nexus 900.


9. Who do you listen to for musical inspiration?

I"m really all over the place, I listen to everything from non commercial country to hip hop to classical to rock.  My tastes are chaotic.


10. And finally, What's next for SPL???

I'm currently developing my next EP which is going to be a follow up to Balearic Bass.  It's still in the conceptual phase so I don't want to give away too much since it's ever-changing.  You can expect some more Drum & Bass from me though.  And definitely a continued emphasis on melody and harmony that I established with the Balearic Bass concept.

- A CHAT WITH DODGE AND FUSKI -

DODGE AND FUSKI

This week I was lucky enough to have a chat with UK Dubstep heavyweights Dodge and Fuski. I've been dying to catch up with these guys for the past year so I was stoked to get the interview. I love their individual production style and their music has shitloads of personality.

Ladies and Gents

Dodge and Fuski

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1. Dodge, tell us how your career as a producer started. Has it always been bass music for you guys?

I started making questionable hiphop in college about 10 years ago, while Fuski started making tunes on a Casio keyboard at the age of around 13, performing sellout shows to his parents in the living room. Bass music has always been a passion of ours but not our only love.

 

2. I heard a rumour of a slight name change for you guys, can you tell us what exactly is happening with that?

We've simply shortened it to DNF. Although we're still Dodge & Fuski, we're diversifying our sound and wish to move away from solely being known as dub step producers. 

 

3. Describe your sound in 3 words...

That's a difficult question as our sound has changed so much throughout the existence of Dodge & Fuski / DNF. As there was never really a 'lead' producer and there were always 2 of us to doing our own thing I think it's quite hard to coin what the 'Dodge & Fuski sound' really is… 

 

4. This is a question for both of you individually... If you had to eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Somebody told us once you could survive on just Guiness.

 

5. Music production time. What software and VST's are you using to design your sound?

Mainly massive and fabfilter plugins (totally unpredictable we know). We've been using Cubase for years as we were taught at a college for blind people and Cubase was the only sequencer they had that had text to speech functionality and we've stuck with it since.

 

6. Who do you guys listen to for inspiration?

At the moment, a lot of old American hiphop like classic Premier tracks

 
7. What artist/band/DJ, dead or alive, would you give anything to see live?

There's one that stands out in James Brown who is a stand out. Otherwise Mediks :)

 
8. What is this news I've heard about you guys kicking off a new record label project?

We started Disciple Recordings earlier this year as a joint venture with the label to which we're signed-Never Say Die as a way to start diversifying our sound. It's going amazingly well considering how many releases we've had and we can't believe some of the people we've had involved so far (and to come)...

 

9. Dodge and Fuski's current top 5 tracks...

Astronaut - Pinball
Pretty much everything by MUST DIE
Skism - Elixir VIP
The McMash Clan - Rain
Krewella - Alive (Pegboard Nerds remix)

10. And finally... Whats next for Dodge and Fuski???

We'll be touring a lot more in the coming year, starting off with North America in September. Our next single is a collab with Culprate which is coming out on the 9th September which will be accompanied by a music video we're really excited about. That'll be followed up by an EP towards the end of the year featuring some fantastic remixes from top artists.
We've also done a few remixes ourselves and are working on more sample CDs. We haven't forgotten about the production tutorials either….

- A CATCH UP SESSION WITH THE BRAIN BEHIND BALKANSKY, COOH AND DRUM KID -

This guy is a multi alias producer from Bulgaria. He produces Bass music and Techno under 3 different names and has a very strong following behind all of them.

We managed to catch up with Ivan this week for a short interview.

Here's a chat with 

Balkansky/Cooh/Drum Kid 

1. Last time we spoke was June 2011 and you were working on some massive projects on your own and with lots of other artists. How many projects have you working on now?

I just released my Cooh - ReBirth album on Position Chrome and already working on new album with Limewax, and also working on the new Underhill album with Dean Rodell.
With Balkansky, I am working on some exiting collabs with artists like Valance Drakes, Broken Note, Current Value, Basscatz, Dubsidia, Niveau Zero, L33, Hempsta and others.
After the second Бalkansky album went really good last october 2012, we are already planning recording a new album with Theodosii Spassov and Ivo Christov.

2.  What has been your most memorable gig in the last couple years?

As Balkansky it was the live act we did at the Drum and Jazz night in Sofia last November, as Cooh it was a massive free open air in Ostrava (Czech Republic) just a month ago called Beats for love.

3. You play under several different name's, can you give us a run through of the different styles of music you create for each name and why you have chosen to play under different names?
 
Originally i started my music career as Cooh, which now stands for my drum and bass, but from the very beginning i was doing other genres too and one day when I already had some following for Cooh, I decided to release my different music under different names. Drum and bass fans, don't always appreciate their favorite artists to be associated with other genres, especially dubstep, so i decided to pick up different names for the different styles. So Balkansky stands for my dubstep/idm/glitch stuff and Drum Kid is for my deep techno tracks. 

4. Tell us about your live set up... what equipment do you prefer to use on stage?

On stage i prefer to play with CDs as I have the feeling that when performing with a computer, the crowd looses the connection with me and my music. Maybe i just need to try it more and find a way to do it better, but for the moment i am happy with 2-3 CDJs 2000 and a mixer with onboard fx. Its totally different story when i perform live with Бalkansky. As its all live music, I am having lots of hardware equipment on stage (monger fooggers, access virus, eventide delay and reverb and more)+ a laptop with midi controllers and an iPad with few apps I love to use for live sampling, mangling and loops.

5. What is a new genre of Bass Music that you think is about to take off?

I think thats the glitch hop and its not new, but now it gets really big hype. I also started few tracks with R.O and I am looking forward to see them finished soon :)

6. What Program are you using to write your tunes?

I use mainly Ableton Live 9 with Max4Live now, but I used to write 99% of my music with Reason. I also use Cubase occasionally and some good VSTs.
Also been part of Ableton beta testers and I did lots of Ableton Workshops around the world, including Melbourne and Sydney on my last tour in January.

7. Most inspiring artist of the year?

Too many to mention, but i can't miss Jon Hopkins, Culprate, Current Value.

8. When can we expect you in Australia?

I am now starting to work on getting big tour sorted for the beginning of next year. Cant wait to come back and play more shows with my new tracks and projects. Always good times down under :)

9. What kind of music do you kick back and relax to?

I love to listen to some jazz, ambient and idm. Everything with deeper and music vibe works for me.

10. And finally, What's next for Balkansky? 

New БALKANSKY album (after Orenda), EP for Ad Noiseam with Current Value and many more collabs and remixes.
Also participating with 2 tracks in a Pink Floyd tribute compilation for bulgarian net label Mahorka.