Daft question… Unless you’re called Emperor.

With a big name, and even bigger sounds to back it up, world domination is highly feasible for this young Halifax-based producer. The latest stage in this domination is his first full EP for Critical. Entitled Begin, it’s his most comprehensive offering to date. We called him up to find out more. And, yes, to find out what he’s going to do when he eventually rules this planet of ours…

Begin: Big release!

Thanks! The physical copies sold out on pre-orders and it’s had some amazing feedback from DJs. It’s pretty humbling to be honest; people who I was looking up to a year ago are getting in touch. I’m still not use to it!

The title’s a hint at things to come, right?

Yeah definitely. It’s a bit cheesy to say ‘this is just the beginning’ but it is. My first full EP on Critical, this is a massive deal for me, I want to really show what I’m capable of and what my sound really is. It’s definitely the beginning of something. Let’s hope it’s something good!

Definitely. Emperor domination is nigh. But…. How would you run the world if you really were an emperor?

What a question! If I was an emperor I’d just spend my money on nice meals. I’d be a pretty bad emperor to be honest. But in terms of drum & bass, I’d have a rule about tunes being released quicker. The time it takes from sending a track to a label to it being released can be long. Too long!

Yeah, loads of artists have said that. By the time a tune is released it feels old…

It can do yeah. Not with Critical, they jump on things pretty quickly but in general the whole release process is longer than people think. For example, I’ve finished two tunes today and they feel like the best I’ve done. So now everything before feels like it could be better. You’re desperately trying to push things and get these new sounds to people as quick as you can. I want to put these up on Soundcloud and show people what I’ve done but you’ve got to keep it locked down.

Bar DJ sets. Gotta have dubs, right?

Yeah. I played at Fabric for Critical and dropped a new tune I’d finished that day. Kasra ran over and was like ‘what the hell is this?’ That was great. But yeah, it’s just an online thing. I really want to get everything out there as quick as possible and show people what I’m doing!

Who doesn’t? Any other rules for the D&B world if you were genuinely an Emperor? How about the club side of things?

In general I’ve had really good experiences with promoters. I’m gutted to hear about Cable closing so one rule I’d impose would be more support for nightclubs and the people running them. Without them we’d be screwed! Another rule would be that it’s mandatory that DJs get a good meal before the gigs.

That pretty much is the rule on the continent. Not so much over here, right?

Definitely. I had this incredible meal when I played in Austria. Schnitzels! Never had them before, it was a great way to start a set. Over here it’s more like ‘here’s your hotel, this is your set time, have a good one’. It’s not like you’re treated badly, but more meals would be very nice!

What’s been the best gig you’ve ever had?

Let me think… I’ve had some amazing gigs. Fabric is always incredible. The crowd laps up everything so you’re never afraid to drop new bits. Some crowds want stuff they’ve heard before but Fabric encourages brand new stuff.

Fun manning that soundsystem, I’d imagine…

Oh yes! It’s incredible. Loud but not too loud and eight monitors, so if one goes down then you’ve still got a spare seven.

Nice. Tell us about your live online tutorials you’ve been doing…

They’re quite sporadic but it’s me producing live online, usually with a couple of friends like Centra who I’ve done a co-lab with on the Begin EP. It’s just a few dudes making tunes online with a bit of Northern banter over Skype. I’ve had some nice feedback; people have learned stuff from it which is cool. It’s a little hobby and if you can learn something from it then great!

Have any ideas you’ve done on these tutorials spawned releases?

Most of the time it’s just messing around but some ideas have led to big releases, yeah. The intro to Begin came about through the live stream. Jackhammer, which is due on Inspected, came about through a live stream, too. That one’s coming soon. It’s a bit different, it’s kinda trappy but not in a conventional way. I like to keep things mixed up a bit. I hope people like it.

Begin is out now on Critical. Listen and download.

A day that’s been tentatively salivated about since the first teases trickled out from Nile Rodgers’ blog last summer.

A day that’s been so heavily PR’d since January, the album really ought to come with a free bar of gold if it’s going to live up to the industrial strength hype.

Daft Punk: An act so universally loved and massively influential that even in our D&B bubble we’ve been affected by the recent hype. Leaked last week, now officially available, their HUGELY anticipated album Random Access Memories has generated more online opinion than any general election, FA Cup final and Lady Gaga outfit put together. So here’s our tuppence worth:

NEEDS MORE D&B!

Not just Random Access Memories but we reckon the whole Daft Punk back catalogue could do with some 170BPM beef. In fact, as far as we can tell, they’ve never commissioned an official D&B remix.

So we’ve done some digging and unearthed the very best Daft Punk drum & bass overhauls. Seven to be precise. From household names to young pretenders who’ve bagged their first cracked copy of FL Studio, there are heaps of remakes out there. Some are pretty stunning. Others, less so…

So sit back, enjoy the best of the massively unofficial Daft Punk D&B crop and imagine what life would be like if they’d invited Dillinja or Ed Rush & Optical to the studio to co-lab on Random Access Memories instead of Nile Rodgers.

BUT BEFORE YOU DO… Don’t forget there are other albums out this week. Equally, if not more, massive albums in our opinion. Here are three of the best:

Get Lucky – TC Remix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2StNnpz1ItA

Kicking off with the freshest re-rub going courtesy of TC. Warning: contains traces of Zane Lowe.

One More Time – Cyantific Remix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m5qbJtA7SA

Who can deny One More Time’s massive disco hook? In a word: rampant.

Something About Us – 95 Royale Remix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNAA3Wojf7A

Largely recognised as one of Daft Punk’s most beautiful, touching moments, 95 Royale have upped the tempo while maintaining most of the soul. Nice work.

Harder Better Faster Stronger – Drumsound & Bassline Smith Remix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W2ydRwUNiM

An epic overhaul from the unstoppable Drumsound & Bassline Smith. This lives up to its name in every way. Just listen to those weighty kickdrums on the drop!

Aerodynamic – Specimen A and James D’Ley Re-fix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUYm3rq7i6A

Drumstep alert! Air guitar alert! Banger alert!

Derrezed – Outsource Remix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFGMrUp6KMU

Taken from their Tron OST, what starts off as an electro number soon turns into a dramatically dark roller.

Harder Better Faster Stronger – Dexcell Remix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKm0qxzk8dM

Dexcell seem to run a fine line in bootlegs. This is one of their earliest. Funkier than Drumsound & Bassline Smith’s. But nowhere near as heavy.

One More Time – Stare Remix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9cCWZXqfuo

A popular Daft Punk tune in bootleg land, Stare stretches out the groove for a seven-plus minute adventure of unashamed D&B fun.

Interview: Damian B

“I think 2013 is huge year for me,” he says. “A lot of things have happened. First of all I finally finished my debut album and it’s out on my own imprint Faded Music. Also, there is lot of great music coming in near future, some interesting collabs and solo works. Generally I am happy how things are going.”

The title of your album is very interesting and beautiful… could those words be used to describe the tunes?

Thanks! Yes I think album title can describe the whole album. It displays the album’s conception. I been a huge fan of science fiction and documentaries about space so probably that was the main inspiration behind what you see.

In general, an album can be just a collection of tunes… or it can be something else, a longer journey and statement. How did you approach it?

Yes definitely. It’s long journey between the stars. From warmest O-class stars to deep frozen empty spaces. I am sure when you will listen to the whole album you’ll understand about what I’m talking about. This album is the result of two years of hard work and experiments. I’m proud of the result.

You got a fave?

Actually it’s hard to choose one track, I love all of them and all of them are so different. So just listen to the album and choose your favourite.

Tell us about some of the collabs on here.

There are two really interesting collabs. Firstly there’s PVM, the result of work with my Ukrainian mates Detail and Abiotic. There is lot of fun when we worked on it: lots of beers, strange and weird ideas which are all there.

The second one is a collab with my Russian mates Andy Pain & Z Connection. A strong glitch roller which perfectly fits the album conception.

You mention the Russian crew: does the place where you live affect how you write?

Yes for sure. And I get a lot of influences from my own life experience. Sometimes it’s bad, sometimes good, it doesn’t matter. For example lately I’m feeling some growth in my life and as a result I am working on some more melodic stuff: not so dark. Summer vibes.

And similar: are you producing now the same as before or are you sensing change in how you approach things?

I think that musicians who are doing the same stuff all the time without evolving have no future. I am trying to do every one of my tracks different.

It sounds that way.

I don’t like similarity. Creativity is the best way to move forward. If we’re talking about the technical side I am learning all time, in order to do every tune better-sounding than the previous.

Who or what influences you?

Funk, techno, house, hip hop, classical music that what where I getting the influences all the time.

Tell us about the cover art for Song Of The Stars.

The cover art is result of huge work by my lovely wife Julia. She is such a talented graphic designer and she is really caught the vibe of album. I think this artwork is 100 per cent fit. It depicts the space travel that you can feel when listening to the album.

Album art is important. I feel that it has been compromised in a digital age. Do you agree?

All arts have power if it’s from the soul. Nowadays photography and video is on one level with so much established arts like music and painting. Also I am really into street art. Modern culture is so interesting lately.

Speaking of culture, what’s something about what you’re into that you’ve never said in an interview before?

I like Game of Thrones.

Song Of The Stars is out now on Faded Music. 
Listen and download.

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m James Austin, I’m 21 and I’m one of the two founding members of Terabyte Records. I’m better known to my friends as Auzi (don’t ask, something to do with Ozzy Osbourne when I was very young) and consequently that’s the name I take when I DJ.

What inspired you to set up Terabyte Records…

I first really got into drum & bass between 16 and 17. At the time I didn’t DJ or produce, but wanted to be involved in the music in any way I could. It naturally transpired two years later that I’d set up a label with a friend from school which never really got off the ground because we didn’t know what we were doing and got into a bit of trouble with Steppa. But that’s another story! Anyway, I didn’t want to abandon the idea and so a year on I took on a new project with another friend, my current friend and business partner Sam Gartside (Altered Perception) and since then we’ve been trying to work up through the gears!

Describe Terabyte’s sound in three words…

Grassroots. Neurofunk. Minimal. Wow that sounds boring! Doesn’t quite do it justice haha!

Now describe it in a few more words…

That’s more like it. Basically we’re all about that techy influenced moody D&B here. We’re by no means a one trick pony, as you’ll see as our release catalogue unfolds. We’ve more strings to our bow like our planned Liquid Technology series kicking off later in the year. But yeah, for the mean time were about plucking new or small time producers and trying to give them a step up in the scene.

Do you reference or look up to any particular labels/releases

In terms of the sound we’re trying to establish as our own, it’s fairly obvious we take huge influence from Dispatch, Metalheadz and Critical etc. Those guys have got it locked down in terms of the standard they set, every release that comes through is nailed on quality! On a personal level, big reference points for me are the guys that manage to run their own label not only as an outlet for music but also as a brand; Andy C, London Elektricity, Friction are my tripod of idols, even if some of their release catalogue is no longer my cup of tea.

So according to your bio you’re based in Leeds, Birmingham, St Albans and London – do you think having a broad cross-national base help give you strong foundation? (as opposed to a specific one-city regional base) 

Difficult question! The reason we have so many bases (according to our Facebook) is because when we started, that is where we were based in varying amounts. Sam and I are both students, I am in Birmingham for another year, Sam is in Leeds for the foreseeable future, and St. Albans (Welwyn Garden City to be more precise) and London are our respective “homes”. Hopefully it will mean that people are more likely to recognise us or come to us but to be honest I can’t see that…we’ve already signed tracks from Russians and Ukrainians who I’m sure have only heard of London from that list!

It’s time to big up your talent – who’s on the label and why?

Obviously Sam and I will feature as often as we can seeing as it’s our label. Sam took our first release, my production skills aren’t quite near releasable material yet ha! Rhys aka Tephra had a huge debut release with us, expect to see big things from this kid and his new co-lab partner Arkose. Automate, and Zach Herer are two longterm friends of the label and expect to see more from both of them this year. M:Pathy is a Birmingham based DJ and producer who has plenty more in his locker. Neumax & A-Cray represent our overseas heads, and expect big things from a Norwich based duo called Volatile Psycle. They’re all a part of the family in part because they put their faith in us. All of them have explicitly expressed they share the same vision as us, so why wouldn’t you have people like that on board? I hope I haven’t missed anyone! We try to run it like a family and give everyone equal dinners haha!

Tell us a bit about Neumax’s release – Ancient Ritual / Singleness…

Neumax already forged his sound on the Syndrome Audio, so when we came across him we knew we were in safe hands. Max has a real way of creating a visual scene with his music; Ancient Ritual really plays on the shamanistic drums of a prehistoric sacrifice, while Singleness gives you the impression of what it might sound like to be afraid and alone. I’m sure this release will be very appealing to the Dispatch-esque market we target.

What have you learned about running a label during these releases? Care to share any critical advice for anyone brave enough to run their own label?

Lots of things! Firstly, don’t release material that is second rate. Our quality control method is “if we don’t think it’s worthy of our own money, don’t expect others to buy it either”. Being students makes the job easier because we have little money to throw around anyway! Second tip would be to make acquaintances with as many people in the game that you can think of. It’s really helpful for promo for starters, as often you can get helpful feedback without paying to get companies to do it for you, and secondly you never know what may come from the conversations you have with people! Be prepared to take even the most daunting of routes and opportunities, time waits for no man.

What’s been the best big up you’ve had from peers in the game?

To be at Outlook last summer and hear Onset (Vagabonds resident and adopted member of the Dispatch family) dropping Tephra’s release late at night at the Beach Bar was really special. It went off! Also got some really feedback and opinion from people I half expected wouldn’t have time for us. Script and Octane always listen to stuff I send them and give me really honest opinions, so got to thank everyone like that really, that’s as much a big up as anything.

The best thing about running a label is…

The excitement towards what we have ahead of us. Each demo we get sent gets better and better, so at least you can hear a progression of the recognition we are beginning to receive, if only initially from other artists. The best thing really for us is the next step, whatever that may be. This release has been really good for our exposure on online blogs in particular, that can only be a good thing.

The biggest challenge running a label is…

Juggling all the different balls at once. While your PR and marketing campaign might be about one release, in the background you’re signing contracts with future artists, sending away pre-masters, getting release dates for forthcoming material. There’s a lot to do but fortunately it’s never a chore. Actually having said that, financing the whole thing is just as difficult, if we had a bit more money we could really kick on, but it’s pretty evident at the moment that getting jobs and bringing home the bread is harder than it sounds.

What’s coming up from Terabyte in the coming months…

We’ve got our release catalogue sorted until September, and our tenth release will be a compilation album hopefully with a few more familiar faces involved as well. We’re also looking to get around the UK doing events and room takeovers so any promoters reading this we’d love to hear from you! We’re also looking to get onto the wax as soon as we can, we appreciate we’re leaving out a large chunk of the market as a digital only label.

Anything else you want to add? 

Few quick things. TB005 drops today. Go buy it as soon as! Also a quick thanks to everyone for supporting us so far!

DOWNLOAD YOUR TERABYTE MIX NOW!

Perhaps music’s most lauded cliché: a talented creative artist invests a lifetime of influence and inspiration into their debut, it enjoys critical and commercial success yet leaves them plundering a dry tank of ideas and themes for their second long player.

Luckily it is just a cliché. For every artist who struggles on their second LP, another one surges forth with a refreshed mindset, fine-tuned from lessons learned on the debut process, focused on delivering something even more tantalising. Alix Perez definitely falls into the latter set, as you’ll find out next week when he unleashes Chroma Chords. A startling, hyper-polished lesson in raw sonic experimentation, an easy way to herald its arrival would be to say it “takes off where Alix left us on 1984”. But that’s another cliché altogether.

For a cliché hat trick we’ll say it’s next level Perez. Sure there’s heaps of consistency between his two works but, more importantly, there’s progress. There’s development, head-scratching rhythm twists and mutated grooves that go way beyond any template originally set by drum & bass.

Daring, exciting and forward-thinking, Chroma Chords doesn’t just reflect Alix’s progression, it reverberates with the most endearing aspects of cutting edge music. How it’s morphed. How it’s grown. How it’s matured in the three and a half years that have passed since Alix penned 1984.

We gave him a call to see where he was at during both creative processes…

THEN: 1984

Rewind to October 2009.

Fresh has finally put Heavyweight out. Skream shows signs of his non-dubstep adventures with the jungle banger Burnin Up. Goldie dusts off his Rufige Cru project. Redlight is just a glint in Clipz’s eyes.

And Alix Perez releases 1984.

A deservedly hyped player following four years of material, his debut album was a big deal surrounded by all manner of anticipation and speculation. Naturally, he delivered: Penned in a small studio in a house he shared with Rockwell, it was deeper and more far-reaching than anything he’d done before. A texture of teased tempos laced with shimmering, star-gazing sonic consistencies, 1984 confirmed Perez’s status as a producer with far more potential than a mere banger merchant. It told a tale and boasted boundary-bounding dynamics that still sparkle nearly four years later. Alix is quick to big up one particular piece of machinery that gave it this edge…

“It’s when I started getting my first analogue gear,” he says. “One particular synth – a semi-analogue one – was the Virus TI. It was a huge investment for me, but what I got from it was priceless. It’s so versatile. It changed the whole album. It changed the way I wrote music. I was sample-based at the time, but from this point on I started making my own sounds and building my own sound palette. Developing that sound palette was very important to the process; it helped me maintain consistency and help me create different shades that make sense throughout the album.”

While the Access Virus TI played a major role in the creation of 1984 – and Alix’s development as an artist on the whole – there were heaps of other factors and influences. We’ll let him explain…

“It was my first album. I didn’t know how to approach it. It was very overwhelming. Even now, I don’t know the best way to approach an album. Start writing tracks until they start forming a body and work from there: That’s been my technique on both albums.

“Goldie’s Timeless was a big influence on me. Any album like that: Not just dancefloor and conventional music but something you have to listen to from start to finish for it to make sense. That’s always been my goal for albums; a narrative, something to be taken in as a whole, as a journey. Shifts of moods, styles and sounds. I want to keep the listener interested.

“Finalising it was the hardest part. I was writing more and more stuff. You write a track that changes the whole order and vibe. You could easily be writing one album forever; constantly changing, adding and subtracting. You have to put your foot down somewhere or you’ll never end it. Ever. When I look back, a personal favourite is Forsaken. It’s just one of those tracks that came together. About four hours! It’s a sample based track and it just worked so well…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9AUN9rUt_M

“Most tracks aren’t so natural or as easy as that. I’m really pleased with The Cut Deepens with the Foreign Beggars. I didn’t know those guys at the time. That started our relationship; we’ve done so much together and they’re on the new album too…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syDIOe1aMwA

Two highlights of many. However as a whole body of work, Alix describes 1984 as “a moment in time”. When pushed for moments he’d like to change he’ll tell you “everything”.

“On the perfectionist side of things I have a bit of a problem,” he says. “I’ll never finish a track and think ‘yeah I’ve smashed this! It’s perfect!’ It will never ever happen. That’s the start of your fall if you don’t ever strive to be even better. It defeats the whole object.”

NOW: Chroma Chords

Back to the future… In the time that passed between 1984 and now, the electronic music family tree – most notably its bass brethren – has extended, re-booted and re-rooted with more genre-defying complexities than it did in the previous 10 years before. It’s during this time Alix also enjoyed a hardcore vintage synth addiction.

“I got the bug and started buying a ridiculous amount of synths,” he smiles. “It was nice to be able to afford them. After 1984 my profile increased and I got more gigs off the back of it. I put a lot of the money back into my studio. Synths are an investment. They don’t depreciate in value. At one point I had an ARP Odyssey and some other incredible vintage synths. I had loads! They’re great for what they are but can be very limiting. I scaled down to what I genuinely need to make my sounds. You can fiddle all day but not get anything done. So I scaled down to the necessities…”

While 1984 was written primarily with the Virus TI, Alix’s bare necessities now include a Roland Juno 106, a Roland JP 8000, a Moog Little Fatty, the still-essential Virus Ti, a Roland SH-101, two outboard compressors, a reverb pedal and a good mic. Interestingly, the album’s final mixdown was done on headphones. Audeze, to be precise…

“Audeze are so high spec,” he explains. “The best high end headphones I’ve ever heard. They were a huge part of the mixing down process which has been really interesting for me. I referenced on my monitors but the final mixdown was done on the headphones. Which I never thought I’d ever do.”

It took a long time to get to the final mixdown, however. Like any album creative process, Chroma Chords was developed through a series of on-going experiments and deep, self-imposed challenges.

“It’s such a long process,” he admits. “You go through phases where you’re not inspired. You start to wonder about your direction. There are so many factors! That’s why it took a good year and a half to get the album where it’s at. It actually took exactly the same time as 1984. It was a very natural writing process. I didn’t envision it being something completely crazy and different, I didn’t want to alienate myself and my listeners. But at the same time I really didn’t want to repeat myself. Some people would be happy for me to do 1984 Part 2 but as an artist I can’t do that. I have to develop. I can rehash old stuff. That’s not what I’m about.

“I really enjoyed deconstructing the tempo template and really having fun with it. You can classify it as drum & bass but it’s not the usual two-step drum pattern. People don’t even know what BPM it is. That’s very cool for me. BPM shouldn’t matter. The whole point is that it’s enjoyable for what it is. I’ve seen some reactions to some of the more out-there tracks. Some people don’t get it. That’s fine. They’re true to their roots and they know what they want to hear. But for me? I’m not writing it for those people. I have to keep myself sane…”

Here’s a taste of just two examples…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDRAZ9L9D3A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpOFexAWlbM

Just like the creative development between the two albums, his inspirations have developed, too. While 1984 was penned to a soundtrack fuelled by the likes of Fela Kuti and classic soul and jazz, the personal soundtrack lurking behind the scenes of Chroma Chords has been a lot more contemporary….

“You’ll probably gauge from the album that I’m loving lot of the electronic fusion stuff,” he states. “Anything on Brainfeeder. Flying Lotus. All that kind of stuff. They’re really playing with the templates of tempo and throwing away all ideas of formula. It’s all really exciting stuff. A few people really grab my attention like Jai Paul and Two Inch Punch. When I hear any of their productions and listen to the way they treat sounds, I’m so inspired. Those type of sounds and production techniques have definitely had an influence on me and how I approached Chroma Chords. I’m as happy with it as I can be…”

Spoken like a true perfectionist.

Chroma Chords is out next week on Shogun Audio.
Watch out for a revealing album walkthrough with Alix coming soon on D&BTV! 

We call up an artist. We have a little chat. We ask them for three tunes that make them smile. They tell us the three tunes. We turn the whole thing into a cheeky little feature that sheds light on the artist’s inspirations and motivations

Them’s the positive vibes rules. But as you know, rules are made to be broken. And Bryan Gee’s current mindset hasn’t just broken the rules, it’s bust them up beyond belief.

Here’s the thing: Bryan Gee is BUZZING anyway.

He doesn’t need an uplifting playlist to put him in a good mood. He is a walking talking positive vibe merchant right now. We called him up and he wouldn’t stop talking about how excited he is about drum & bass and his four labels. We eventually managed to get three beautiful reggae selections. But to be honest, his thoughts on the scene are a much more interesting read….

“I won’t lie,” he tells us. “A few years ago big people in the game were telling me drum & bass was dead. You hear? Dead. They were getting the funeral tunes ready and everything. Well look at us now. It’s bigger and more exciting than ever. You get all these two-minute genres and they come and go but drum & bass just keeps rearing it’s big old head and returns even bigger and better than it was before.”

Cue the introduction to his new mix series. 41 tracks strong and over two hours of Bryan’s selector-style mix vibes, Planet V Drum & Bass Volume 1 is a reference to the period many believe to be drum & bass’s gloriest of glory days; back in the late 90s you couldn’t move for Planet V activity. To refer to such a golden time for D&B and V, it needed to be every bit as good – nay, better! – than anything the original Planet V brand delivered.

“The big thing was the name,” agrees Bryan. “The original Planet V name means so much! It means a lot to me. It means a lot to the fans. It means a lot to people in drum & bass. It sums up a time when the music was at such a magical, influential stage. You had the emergence and development of the Virus lot. The Bristol lot. So many producers were really blossoming at that time and Planet V represented that time. It’s like the myth and reputation of it got bigger and bigger since then too. People always talking about those good old days. I wanted to follow up Planet V for years and years but it’s like it got too big – how could I follow that up? For a long time I thought I’d leave it in the past and concentrate on the future. Then we started the Planet V parties again and we’ve got so many amazing producers giving us music we thought we’d go ahead with Planet V.”

Curating such an opus, Bryan explains, was trickiest challenge. With so many talented contributors to his labels – Savage Rehab, David Boomah, Mr Joseph, Level 2, DJ Chap, Ruffstuff, Calibre, Northern Lights, Eveson, Nitri, Dr Meaker, AI, Bladerunner, Serum, the list goes on – he was faced with the unenviable task of putting together a release that not only hypes up his labels’ output, but also rolled with consistency.

Has he done it? Check it out and judge yourself. One thing is for sure, Bryan Gee’s enthusiasm is somewhat inspiring…

“Now is the time!” he laughs. “Right now it feels like 10 years ago when I was working with all these amazing producers who are now household names. The vibe and the levels of excitement are just the same. Every day I wake up and there’s a new tune sitting in my hard drive and it’s better than the last! One day it’ll be DJ Chap, the next day it’s Level 2, the next it’s Savage Rehab. Mr Joseph, AI… everyone! There’s an energy. The Brazil guys remind me of the Full Cycle lot; they’re just a group of guys bouncing off each other, vibing and influencing each other to push things further and further. It’s just like back in the day. Not competitive; just bouncing and vibing. You get that amazing energy when people are working in groups. Savage Rehab are the same – bouncing, bouncing, bouncing.”

Boomah Boomah Shake Shake The Room…

JUST in case the Planet V release isn’t quite enough to back up Bryan’s positive evangelism, next week also sees the release of another massive V release: David Boomah’s long-awaited debut album, One World Many Cultures.

“David Boomah is another reason for me to be happy,” laughs Bryan. “I’m buzzing about it! He deserves it; he’s been in the business a long, long time. He works hard, he gets his head down, I’m so happy for him to achieve this album. I can’t wait for people to hear it. Everyone wants to work with Boomah. He’s a shining light. Very few people in D&B do what he does. Anything he sings just takes you away. He’s got that vibe! It doesn’t matter whether he’s singing jungle vibes, reggae vibes, urban vibes. He’s got that vibe! It’s such a special album. I grew up playing reggae. I never thought I’d put reggae out on V. It’s a dream for me! I was cutting reggae dubplates in the late 70s and early 80s, you know? To have that sound on my label? Wow. It’s a dream come true.”

And so we finally get to Bryan Gee’s positive vibes. Three happy reggae tunes that instantly put the V boss in the ultimate happy place. Not that he needs any help getting to there right now!

Planet V Drum & Bass Volume 1 is out now.

Listen and download.

Bryan Gee – Positive Vibes

Dennis Brown – Have You Ever Been In Love?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW_DvhqKg1M

The Abyssinians – Forward On To Zion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1hn34M40uQ

Frankie Paul – Sara

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuwG-pRldJY

You might be feeling the pinch of another fine weekend.

The idea of another weekend in your raving shoes might seem too far away to even contemplate.

But trust us… Next Saturday will be on us before we know it. And boy have we got a strong contender for your weekend party choice.

This Saturday, May 18, Circa return to Hidden, London with an Ingredients Records showcase. And the line-up is very, very special indeed.

How does Xtrah, Skeptical, Villem, Ruffhouse, Escher and Overlook sound?

How does a Commix classics set sound?

How does Digital and Spirit’s first ever gig together in six years sound?

Sound good right?

In fact this is better than good. This is phenomenal. There is nothing we don’t like about the line-up; An all-star cast of rising and established creators. Metalheadz duo Commix digging deep through their vaults. And Phantom Audio luminaries Digital & Spirit’s first DJ set together in over six years?! Wow.

It’s not just us who are excited about this. We tapped up Ingredients boss Psylence to see where he’s at…

“Really pleased to have the duo back together in time for the Ingredients & Circa event, will be one to witness.”

One to witness indeed.

If you’re not tempted by this then either you A) – Live miles away from London. Or B) – Don’t like drum & bass and just happened to be reading this blog because you were searching for ingredients for some recipe.

Oh, and C) – if you like multiple choice questions then have a buzz on the competition below and you might be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets. Hurry, though. The closing date is 5pm Thursday May 16^th.

Please note: by entering this competition you accept future emails from Drum&BassArena

DLR told us all about it ages ago. Now it’s time to catch up with Octane. His new label CORE is the platform for a totally different breed of Octane beats. The debut – Synthetic/Gaia’s Dub – came out last week. And, let’s just say his studio experiments have resulted in some of the deepest and cosmic inspirations you’ll ever read on a music blog…

(Interview – Adam K & Chris D)

“I managed to find a lecture from this professor who was taking about a concept called the holographic universe which is something I’m really interested in. It’s basically the idea the mind just builds everything around you and nothing is actually there, and with everything in Synthetic being built from synthesis, that was the concept behind it.”

Wow, big things to get the ball rolling on this interview…

I know it’s deep, but that’s the whole idea behind starting CORE as a label in that it gives me a way to experiment. Gaia Dub is basically complete and utter madness and a totally different style. I tried to make it sound really earthy and natural, rather than saw and square waves mixed about, a real natural, organic song so that’s why I went for Gaia’s Dub. It’s this big, natural-sounding, weird, tribal…thing!

The sub on it sounds wicked in a club; I’m just not sure if people are going to get it. There’s so much music now and you try and listen to a lot of it, people flick through lots of tracks. If it doesn’t hit people right away they pass it over, and that’s my only concern that it might not hit people in that way as it’s a track you really have to listen to and try and understand with an open-mind. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, but hopefully people will look back and realise how much time and effort went into creating that sound.

And has CORE been something you’ve been contemplating for a while?

I think more artists should have their own label just that you can completely remove that industry/label pressure of having to sound a particular way. A lot of labels have a niche sound for themselves but it can get a bit stale in some respects which is part of the reason for CORE. People might wonder who the hell this lunatic is, but it gets my artistic side out there so we’ll see what happens.

We’ve got a few collabs in the works as well. I’m really keen to push to work with people who are doing something a bit different and a bit crazy. I’m starting something with Raiden shortly and I’m really into his music, he’s a wicked, wicked producer.

Can you see yourself working with DLR again?

To be honest we’ve spoken about going our separate ways for a long time and doing our own, fresh things. The way it is now, we’ve really gone in different directions in our approach. I’d like to hope at the end of this year we can get together and write tracks again as our sounds now are so different that some really cool stuff might come out of it.

We could always hear each other in the track and you could hear who influenced what part of certain tunes. I think with both of our stuff coming out people will recognise the different styles that came out on our previous tracks. I’m more of a technical guy whereas Jay was more musical. I love hearing his solo stuff as well so it’s wicked that we’re both getting on it.

So how have you coped with the lonely nights in the studio?

It’s a blessing and a curse working solo because I’d be going crazy with frustration about something that I’d written in the studio saying I didn’t like it or wanted to start it over, and Jay would be there to say it’s fine, it’s wicked. We’d both come back at the end of the track and agree whether we were happy with it or not. Now you don’t have that opinion to fall back on, no one to say if they reckon it’s alright or if something needs changing etc, so I’m constantly battling with myself about what I like, so with all the experimentation I’ve no idea if I’m going too far!

Are you going to look to bring more people on board when CORE takes off? Are there any artists who get you juices flowing? 

It’s not a label that’s been made to compete with the major labels or try and be the next big thing, it’s just a place for me to work some more experimental ideas from. There’s a lot of great upcoming music out there at the moment where artists have been nurtured properly and given the chance to grow and develop. L33 has got some wicked, wicked sounds coming out. It’s really original and I’ve been massively impressed with his production. A lot of the kids coming through are really talented but some are dropped as quickly as they’re picked up because every major label is constantly trying to pick up the next big thing.

And away from D&B, how do you kick back?

I’ve actually been listening to a lot of folk recently and looking for ways to expand my knowledge and influences. Folk is great for chilling out and getting away from long DNB production sessions. I’m even thinking of taking up an instrument to try and understand the mechanics of song writing a little bit better.

So we can expect some sort of folk-step soon then?

Haha, I’ll probably try it now that you’ve mentioned it!

Synthetics / Gaia’s Dub is out now. Listen and download.

Japanese poke tattoos, painters and the endless fight against mediocrity. All in a day’s work for D&B’s mystery man Hibea. He’s just dropped this brutal old skool-nodding slammer White Owl on IM:LTD…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfDTsWtt5-g

Damian B called up the sleepy Ukrainian town of Vinnitsa and demanded to speak to him straight away…

Hibea: Hello there Damian.

Hello. What is new for the 2013 since we last spoke, sir?

As before, I try to make music but not as a product. I patiently let the music show itself at its best. That is why I cannot provide you with a larger number of releases, but I hope that the pieces I make, will get nothing but positive feedback, and will not allow me to get lost in mediocrity.

Which labels are you aligned with?

I’m still on friendly terms with the label IM:LTD and Caine,and it is the reason of my recent releases came out right from these guys. I’m happy to say White Owl received great feedback and support from many of the biggest world DJs.

What music in any genre are you into right now?

At the moment I’m trying not to stick on any specific styles. I prefer to let the music find me.

Okay… are you passionate about D&B and its current form right now?

D&B’s going through a very interesting period. For all the power of modern technology, many people are trying to produce a quite simple and light sound which is very comparable to the sound of the old school. This is good news for me personally, ha ha!

What names are you watching?

Nowadays I really like the different sound mixed with old-school sound. such as Dub Phizix Happy 5 and Nitri Quintana

Last time we spoke you said you weren’t connected to the Ukrainian scene… maybe it’s a geographical one? Some think you ARE part of it.

Yes. Unfortunately I am still far from the Ukrainian scene. On the one hand it is good because it does not allow me to fall under its influence. But in the near future I want to change that, and personally please all fans of D&B with my stuff. So hurry up. I’m available for world booking!

You get up to much outside of D&B?

I have many hobbies. I love to paint. I am an active airsoft player. I’m also a Japanese hand poke tattoo master. You have some interesting and unusual things to do? Bring it.

Hold up. What’s the interest in Japanese tattooing about?

Well this is quite rare form of tattooing and is mainly used in Japan. I’m a fan of this type of tattoo because the application process is very interesting and looks like a trance. Such a tattoo can take several weeks to years, and requires perseverance and concentration. It is quite different to emotional work of a musician.

And with visual arts… What do you like?

I’m working with 3D graphics, but also love painting in oil or otherwise. In regard to painters, what can I say? Munch? Rothko? Van Gogh? In regard to photography it would be people like Lee Jeffries.

White Owl is out now. Listen and download.

This week see the release of his label’s third, and largest, selection. The Sensimillionaire Riddim Remixes is bulging with Jamaican heritage. A firing line-up of Aries specials, boasting the original stems from the House Of Riddim band and toasting talents of key soundsystem smashers such as Daddy Freddy, Carlton Livingstone, Zareb, Jah Mason and Pad Anthony, it’s an essential release for those who love their roots as much as the rave-ups.

Don’t take our word for it, though. Here’s Aries’ own minimix of the release…

Big release!

You’ve got Daddy Freddy, you’ve got Carlton Livingstone, you’ve got Pad Anthony, you’ve got Jah Mason, you’ve got Zareb. These are household names in reggae, they’ve all been in the business for many many years and they’ve all been given killer remixes from Aries. It’s our biggest release to date and I’m so proud of it. If you want to check the originals then I advise anyone to check out the album they’re from: the award winning Sensimillionaire album from the legendary House Of Riddim.

Tell me about House Of Riddim…

They’re a reggae band from Austria. They’re the number one backing band in Europe right now. They’re such a tight, talented band. They’ve worked with all the best artists in the reggae scene. They don’t sound like white guys doing reggae, you know? They’re the real deal! Their production is through the roof and their drums are amazing!

Give us some examples of their classics…

Too many, here are a few…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfPrkOKE3oQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GKQ65-fIMs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEml1vqEkR0

Vibes! So how did you hook up with them?

Me and RCola did a track that sampled them. It went out on vinyl so we approached them for the original stems and they gave us everything. Samples and drum machines are great but it’s all about the organic sound. Saysell Music is all about the organic sound. We’ve got some chief stuff going on. This is the tip of the iceberg.

What else is coming up?

Loads. Savage Rehab. Serial Killaz. Marcus Visionary. Yardrock. The list goes on and on… We’ve got such a tight little crew going on. I’m working very closely with J Bostron, iDavid and Cabin Fever. I’m also working with Scotty UrbanFront touring across the country at big raves like Fantazia. Plus we’re working with Marvellous Cain’s Yardrock. I sing the theme tune for them!

Nice. How do you find the crowds at big jungle raves compared to the reggae shows you cut your teeth on?

I’m loving it! There is so much energy! I’ve observed so many MCs and performers. I look for high spots. I look for low spots. I see how it works and what really works the crowds. I absorb like a sponge. I take it all in and interpret it in my own way. That’s how you’ve got to behave in the industry. Plus you have to be versatile and have your own distinctive voice.

How long did it take you to develop your voice?

I haven’t stopped developing it! I’m learning all the time. I’m enjoying a secondary life in music and I’m so grateful for it. I’m loving it. Technically I should have my slippers on right now, but I’m out there and performing and loving every minute. All my mates are down the pub nursing a pint of Guiness while I’m speeding off to raves every weekend. I’m relishing every minute of it. You know I’ve learned from everything I’ve done in the past to ensure this second peak is even bigger than the last.

What lessons?

Be wary of the company you keep! Whether it’s girls or gangs or management, whatever… That’s key for me. You can easily be laired by the wrong people. You get the wrong manager and you’re on the road to ruin. Make sure you work with the best producers. Make sure you write the best lyrics you can.

So where can we catch you this summer?

My favourite shows are when I can do the classics then switch up to the jungle styles. There’s such a strong bridge between the two styles. You can’t be into one if you’re not into the other. You can catch me doing them right here…

May 12-13 – Retro Trax, Leicester
May 25 – Subclub, Bratislava
June 22 – Fantazia, Bristol
Beats For Love, Ostrava, Czech Republic
July 27 – Big Chill, London
Sept 13-16 – UMF Festival, London

Sensimillionaire Riddim Remixes are out now
Listen and download

Catch Jamie on Facebook & Soundcloud