Category Archives: Interviews

Q & A – Volatile Psycle [Terabyte]

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Volatile Psycle have been making waves lately with their crunching D&B and Glitch Hop productions, with a tidy selection of releases already out and more to come. Ahead of their new single for Terabyte Records, we caught up with the duo to find out a little more about the Norwich scene and their approach to the craft.

DNB Dojo: Hi guys! First up, for those who aren’t familiar can you introduce yourself to the DNB Dojo readers?

Volatile Psycle: Ez! We are Volatile Psycle, aka Dan Lawrence (Volatile) and Jimmy Chick (Psycle).

DD: How did you guys get into the D&B scene? Did you start out as DJs, or producers?

VP: Dan got into D&B through a school friend, and soon built up a collection of tape-packs as his obsession grew. In his late teen’s he started producing music and after only recently teaming up with Psycle has added mixing to his skills.

Jim’s older brother was hugely into his dance music so Jim grew up with D&B, Garage and Hardcore featuring heavily in his daily life. After helping form DSOB (Darker Shade Of Bass) with some other local DJ’s Jim also went to University to hone his production and recording skills.

DD: Given the disparity in tempo between D&B and Glitch Hop, how do you integrate the two styles in your sets? Any plans for DJ friendly cross-over tunes?

VP: We decided on starting a set off with some nasty Glitch, get everyone bouncing, then slam it into D&B and the place goes off. We either use certain tracks that have a tempo change or just chop at an appropriate point which can work wonders as it can catch people out. It keeps people on their toes! But yeah we have a couple of tempo surfing tracks in the pipeline…watch this space.

DD: What’s the scene like in Norwich? Any other local talents hiding out there we should be keeping an eye on?

VP: The D&B scene has always been there in Norwich, plenty of heads get to Rumble or Color consistently. Big shout should go to Matty Perfection (T.I.) for his hard work on that front. DSOB also used to get down big names on a regular basis, I’d say D&B is a winner wherever you are in the country really. Glitch Hop is a sleeping giant at the minute though, whenever we drop big 110bpm tracks out you can see everyone looking around thinking ‘what is this!?’ But its still to really catch hold of a big following among Norfolk’s finest.

Talent wise you have our regular cohort Charged who we’ve made a couple of our big swing influenced Glitch tracks with, the aforementioned T.I. who’s getting releases on DJ Markie’s Innerground recordings and Flat T wh’os doing well in the jump-up scene.

DD: What’s your favourite piece of gear in the studio (hardware or software)?

VP: Reason 7 and the Mackies, we swear by them!

DD: What’s your all time favourite D&B tune? If I had to guess my money would be on something pretty hefty, maybe Noisia?

VP: Such a tough question. So many to choose from, but I would say yeah, Noisia – Program. Jim’s has to be either Noisia & KRSOne – Exodus or The Upbeats and Noisia – Creep Out.

DD: You’ve got a great new single coming out for Terabyte, any other releases you can tell us about?

VP: Yeah, we are really happy with this release on Terabyte, we can both see the label really taking off soon. We don’t often go for the more minimalistic style, dubbed ‘Yard’ round these ways. We have a big techy free release on Nocid the day before our Terabyte debut, and have a few new cross genre tracks which will be dropping before the year is out too….

DD: Do you struggle to avoid the use of comedy Alan Partridge samples in your tunes?

VP: Aha! We have spoken about it before, just can’t really see Alan’s voice fitting in above a filthy reese though!

Check out the beats below and watch out for the single dropping in all good digital stores from September 2nd.

Default Recordings Q&A

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Following on from our catchup with QST we caught up with the Default Recordings crew to hear about their plans for the label.

DNB Dojo: Biggups on your first release! What made you want to start a label, especially given how many small D&B imprints already exist out there?

Default Recordings: Default Recordings first came about back in 2003 whilst Flapjack was experimenting making tunes with Coolhand Flex and vocalist Cat Knight in his home studio and getting advice from them on music production. In the early days they made many tunes together but never actually got round to releasing them. Flapjack already had vinyl releases back in 1997 on Dj Rap’s label Proper Talent (Dj Rap & Flapjack Rumble Remix) and sub-label Unique Muzique (Gulfbreeze/Lucid Dreams) and Desire’s label S.U.S. Recordings (Final Solution/Reverb) and thought the next step is to have his own label and continue to hone his producing skills.

Flapjack set up Default Recordings to have an avenue to release our music without having to conform to the restraints of other labels and also having more control over what we released and when. For a while Default Recordings was on hold as Flapjack had a full time job and not much time on his hands but always had the intention to re-launch the label at some point in the future. Flapjack recently met up with Piercey and found out he produced tracks, he then got introduced to IDC and he saw a lot of potential in them both. With this in mind and the other artists he had on the label previously (Coolhand Flex, QST & Cat Knight) he decided to re-launch the label with Piercey & IDC lending a hand.

Having two others on board has helped a lot financially and in spreading the workload. Over the past couple of months we have all worked hard in getting the label up & running again. Having a few of you with the same goal works really well as you can bounce ideas off each other to do with the label and also when it comes to producing music.

DD: I understand the Default crew hails from Milton Keynes, what’s the scene like there?

DR: The scene in MK has always been a bit quiet in terms of D&B, maybe with it being so close to London, people tend to look to the music and clubs down there instead. Not many nights are put on here and when they are, there isn’t much of a turn-out unless you get hold of some big names to get people out. Years ago, there used to be a big presence in the city with the likes of the Sanctuary and various other large clubs which unfortunately are no longer, they are all shutdown to make way for too many of these cheesy bars/pubs which don’t really cater for D&B and more towards house and RnB.

The only real place at the moment for DnB nights is the SnoBar which put on regular DnB nights with the likes of Steppers and Jungle Massacre. These are run by the boys behind Filthy Business and Delicate Beats, a couple of other labels which have been born in MK. When the label gets more established we will look to getting a regular Default night up and running in the area as it need something new and fresh for the people of MK who are into the scene. They just need to come out and represent the music!

DD: What are the plans for the label? Any upcoming releases you can tell us about?

DR: The main focus for Default recordings is to not stick with one DnB sound. Default wants to reflect the whole 360 degree spectrum of DnB and hopefully you will see that coming through with our future releases. We don’t want to be pigeon holed into having one style. All our artists presently on board have their own individual style, so with each release you can expect something different from the last.

The plan for the label is to keep releasing tunes on the regular. Hopefully people will like our stuff and the label will grow and mature over time. We are always looking for new and interesting artists to get on board, so if you have any demos please get in touch with us via our Soundcloud page. We listen to all demos and will give feedback..

Our release schedule over the next few months looks a bit like this: DEF002 will be from the legendary Coolhand Flex with Master and Soundboy. These 2 tracks are very different from our first release. If you know Flex from back in the day, this is his sound all over, truly a couple of dance floor smashers! This should be released early July. DEF003 will see the debut release from IDC. From there, we have releases coming from Piercey and also DSP. We will also be looking to have a label launch party sometime in June/July. The venue and date are still to be confirmed. Details will be available on our website. All the Default artists will be appearing alongside a very special guest….so keep an eye out for that.

DD: Any plans to release tunes on vinyl, or is the label sticking to digital only for now?

DR: For now, we are looking to keep the releases available through download stores only. Hopefully if the demand is there in the future then sure, we would love to release our tracks on vinyl. At the end of the day, all our artists come from vinyl backgrounds and that would be our ultimate goal. Nothing beats vinyl, but you have to move with the times…

DD: If you could sign a tune from any artist, who would it be?

DR: There are too many to mention. I simply couldn’t list them all. Someone like Calibre would be amazing. The guy is a genius.

And for those who need something more than words, here’s a mix from Default-er IDC which shows off the label’s vision with a tidy mix of smooth liquid. Check it out and grab yourself a free download!

QST Q&A

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Ahead of his debut release for Default Recordings we caught up with QST to chat about his new tunes and plans for 2013.

DNB Dojo: Firstly biggups, really feeling the new tunes! Can you give us a bit of background on how these came together?

QST: Cheers! These tunes are from my back catalogue of unreleased stuff, Flapjack dug out Yellow from the vaults and asked me to use it for this release so I unearthed my old PC and transferred the track to Logic (with difficulty) and added a few synths and there you go. Red Dwarf is one of my later ones, I gave the demo to Flapjack a while ago, so when I was told it was needed for release I went back in the studio and finished it off. Red Dwarf was inspired by watching a documentary on the solar system.

DD: How did you hook up with the Default crew?

QST: It was about 8 years ago when I went to Raindance and had a couple of CDs of my tunes to give out to DJs, I saw Flapjack chilling in the Jenkins Lane room so I gave him a CD. He called me the next day saying he loved it, and he was feeling the one called “liquid funk”. Looking back at that tune it was pretty original as I went from a 4/4 time signature to 6/8 on the break down and back to 4/4 which gave the illusion of slowing down the track but it actually stayed at the same BPM. Might dig that one out and remix it especially for Default.

DD: How did you get started in the scene? Any nights or labels that gave you your first breaks?

QST: I was introduced to early house/hardcore/breakbeat by my older sister who used to listen to the pirates like Green Apple and Touchdown so I got my first taste of the new “Rave” from hearing it coming from her bedroom.

When I was 16 I did a Hardcore mix tape which I was really proud of under my old name “Quest”, I sent it to Eternity Magazine and won best mix tape, on the back of this I got my first DJ booking at the legendary Labyrinth Four Aces Club in Dalston which was on my 17th birthday. I played 3 sets, Old School in Main room, Jungle/Drum & Bass in the basement and a short Happy Hardcore set upstairs in the loft, for me that was the best birthday ever.

Default has given me my first release break so big ups to those guys, looking forward to seeing the label grow.

DD: What are your influences, both Drum & Bass and beyond?

QST: The most influential artists since the beginning have been Krome and Time, Omni Trio, Slipmatt, SS, Seduction, Pendulum, Noisia, Seba, Tech Itch to name a few, outside of D&B I get a lot of influence from film scores and old 70’s artist like Lonnie Liston Smith, Quincy Jones, Roy Ayres etc.

DD: One for the producers out there, what one piece of hardware or software can’t you live without in the studio?

QST: If I go back through all my tunes in the last 5 years Rob Papen Blue probably pops up the most, or maybe it’s the EXS24 Sampler as I think I use it in all my tunes. I can’t make up my mind here, sorry.

DD: What else is in store from QST in 2013?

QST: This year I’m looking to get back on the radio and do more DJ work as the last few years I’ve been working shift work so couldn’t commit to DJing or the Radio as my shifts were all over the place. My second release after Yellow/Red Dwarf on Default will be on my best buddy DJ V and Solutionsounds’ Label Subliminal Cuts Recordings, Connections will be released alongside DJ V’s Rasta Man in June/July sometime. Oh and I’m planning on a big lottery win too.

Check out the brand new single from QST below and look out for it dropping June 10th. Watch this space for a second round of Q&A with the Default Recordings crew.

And as if that wasn’t enough here’s a mix from the man himself! It’s packed full of techy belters from the likes of Optiv, BTK, The Upbeats and Telekinesis, and definitely worth a listen. Stream and download below!

Chris Octane Q&A [CO:RE]

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Ahead of the first release on his brand new label CO:RE, we caught up with Chris Octane to talk about the label, his musical approach and his dream collaborator.

DNB Dojo: I was kinda surprised to hear that you and DLR were going your separate ways after the success of the Method in the Madness LP. Was this always the plan, to use the album to launch solo careers, or did circumstances conspire to keep you apart?

Chris Octane: It was a crazy time after the album. It was never the plan to split. We didn’t have a plan. The Method LP was the pinnacle of OD and we put everything into it.  Throughout the process we explored a lot of new ideas and territory and I think we grew in different ways. That naturally led to us playing with new ideas outside of the OD project. DLR moved to Bristol to be nearer family and I think having a break from each other actually pushed the solo side further. It all seems like natural progression and I’m happy we left OD on a high. We’re both open to working together and we still have our Cymatic project. In the not too distant  future there’ll likely be new material as a duo but we’re both really enjoying the freedom of solo work right now and we’re pushing our own boundaries as individuals which is what we needed to do.

DD: Tell us a bit about your plans for CO:RE; what prompted you to launch a label of your own, and what sort of stuff can we expect to hear from the label over the next few months?

CO: CO:RE is a little place for me to experiment. The label is about my journey through sound design and music. I’d thought about it for a long time before the solo project started but after speaking with Ant TC1 and James DLR after the OD split, now seemed like the right time to dive in. I’m still very much part of Dispatch. We’re all good friends and it’s great to have the support. I can’t imagine that would be the case in any other industry!

DD: The first release on CO:RE sees a certain disparity between the two tracks, with the A side providing more traditional drum & bass kicks while the B side sees you off exploring more experimental territory. Any plans to move away from traditional drum & bass, or will one foot always be on the dancefloor?

CO: Synthetics is aimed more at the floor on first listen but it is quite deep when you study it. It’s entirely built from Synthesis and the vocal fits the idea that nothing is as it seems. I’m trying to put more depth and meaning into my work as well as a heck of a lot of engineering and hopefully some listeners will appreciate that. Gaia’s Dub has a lot in common from a design perspective but I wanted an opposing sound. Something to show my exploration and a bit of my obscure design side. It sounds quite minimal but the way everything is chained is the reason for that. It’s designed to push and pull itself and everything interacts. To carry on the natural theme I arranged it live and left in a lot of the natural hiss and pops from the circuits it went through.

Both tracks actually sit at the same tempo. I don’t think I could move away from D&B entirely. It’s engrained in me, but I’ll definitely try to push the boundaries of the norm with CO:RE. I’m also aiming to push collaborators outside their usual comfort zone. I have a few great collabs lined up and it will be brilliant to see how their artistic minds work in a no holds barred environment!

DD: Sound design and texture have always played a big part in your work both with DLR and on these new solo productions. Care to give us an insight into your creative process? What do you draw on for inspiration and how do you get from an abstract sound design to a more structured overall tune?

CO: I try to find a theme or a kind of story in the new work. Not that it’s always apparent to the listener but it gives a little more definition to the path the music will take. I have to be able to imagine what the sounds represent otherwise they’re pointless to me. It’s a nice way to explore my own mind and make music artistically. Something I can only do as a solo artist with my own imprint. But then again sometimes I can just hit something with a stick and it sounds really good.

DD: If you could pick any musician to collaborate with on a future release, who would it be and why?

CO: Aphex Twin. It would be nice to feel like I’m a little less obscure in my writing than I do now! After writing for so long as a duo / quartet  it’s quite unnerving to finally be baring myself like this. I have no idea where I’ll end up or how people will react but one thing for sure is that I’m really enjoying writing and being myself entirely. I’m expecting mixed reactions to some things but I think I need to be myself. I’m putting a lot of work into the music but I don’t want CO:RE to be anything more than my journey through everything I love about music / sound.

Check out Chris Octane’s brand new single below and watch out for it dropping via his new CO:RE imprint on May 6th!

Diffrent Q&A

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A couple of weeks ago leftfield London label Diffrent put out their 15th release from Arkaik. To celebrate, I caught up with label boss Dexta for a quick chat about all things Diffrent and D&B.

DNB Dojo: How do you go about finding artists? Or do they come to you? Diffrent certainly have a knack for finding and releasing tunes that are firmly D&B while being fairly unlike most of the rest of the genre.

Dexta: Thanks!! Well luckily we have a few exclusive artists who we managed to find before we got any real notice based on endless nights on SoundCloud and putting up posts on forums that we’re looking for music etc. Paid off pretty well. With the success of the GiraffeCast we get loads of tunes sent over from all kinds of artists and producers from over the globe and some from Mars, a fair few of these submissions tend to make it into the pink giraffe CD wallet and sometimes even make it onto the Diffrent release schedule. So keep em coming.

DNB Dojo: The latest release from Arkaik seems to move away from the styles of some previous releases (e.g. from Stanza and Fathom Audio) and into the territory of labels like Noisia’s Invisible imprint. Was this a deliberate move, or is it just a case of getting sent good tunes and putting them out?

Dexta: Pardon the obvious pun, but we do like to keep things different. All of our past releases have a big contrast from the flip sides, and each release moves into new grounds, Arkaik’s EP is no exception to this theory. Pete (Arkaik) is a very busy guy, and we try to give him as much freedom and space in the studio so we tend to have a lot of top quality tunes to try and distribute from him. It’s really rewarding now to see the love and attention that he is getting as such a new comer artist to the D&B music scene. I think he suits the label very well and he is part of the foundations here and this comes across in all of his musical output!

DNB Dojo: Have you got anything exciting lined up for 2013? Anything big you wanna tell us about?

Dexta: Well, as we all know 2013 has just began, we’ve about 6-7 releases pretty much ready to unleash, so these will be played and mentioned in our podcast and mixes as much as possible. We’ve got our 3rd birthday party coming up March 22nd at a secret location in East London (tickets are being put on sale now from our website www.diffrentmusic.com). The new website has been put together, we’re planning on setting up a YouTube channel and hopefully construct a life size Giraffe head/neck sculpture! TBC!

DNB Dojo: Any tips for budding producers who’d like to get music out on your label?

Dexta: The bets way of getting music into our speakers is by sending your music over, only if you seriously think it is the right kind of vibe for us, listen to the podcast do some homework, and send us a couple of tracks that we can suck in and debate about… the email is info@diffrentmusic.com

DNB Dojo: What’s the deal with giraffes?

Dexta: There is no deal, but did you know that due to their long neck, the vocal cord is so stretched that the only noises they make are in the Sub Bass frequencies!?

Check out the release below and grab yourself a copy from your favourite store, out now!

Utopia Music Q&A

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I’ve been keeping an ear out for the eclectic delights that see release on Utopia Music for a while now, and their latest work from Mikal and Rido keeps the quality every bit as high as I’ve come to expect. I caught up with label boss Mako for a quick Q&A on all things Utopia, and his views on snack food.

DNB Dojo: Some of the older Utopia releases from the likes of Andyskopes were more minimal/chilled out whereas the new release is leaning more towards a dancefloor/tech vibe. Is there a deliberate decision to take the label in a slightly different direction, or is it just a case of signing what you’re feeling right now?

Mako: I only sign the music I love so the direction is always dictated by emotion rather than deliberate thought processes. The 12″ just turned out that it was more of a tech vibe.  That doesn’t mean thats the direction I’m moving in. All I want to do here is release quality music, one 12″ after another, whether that me be a summer relaxed roller, a tribally bongo flex or some 174bpm rhythm and sound dub bass. I got Rido to remix the flip as I was interested in his production and wanted to establish a vibe with him as I feel he’s one of the better producers out there. Big ups to both him and Mikal for being badboys.

DD:  You recently put out a collab with the mighty Break, how did that come together? Did the four of you all get together in the studio or was it more sending stuff back and forth?

Mako: The collab with Break happened as part of a mutual respect that has been developing over the last few years. He’s a good friend and has helped me immensely in production and ethos. He had been playing a few tunes of ours so I invited him to the Utopia studio to write something. A mixture of styles converged and ‘Diligence’ was born. I had a lot of fun writing it, as i’m sure the other guys did and have loved hearing it on sound-systems across the country when playing with Fields and Villem.

DD: Who are your favourite producers or labels on the scene right now?

Mako: There’s a lot of great music coming from a lot of talented guys and girls out there. You can generally get an idea of what i’m feeling from the podcasts that i’ve done. Hard to single anyone out really. Do you want a really long list?

DD: What can you tell us about Utopia’s plans for 2013?

Mako: Plans for 2013 are to release more quality singles, one after the other. I’ve always wanted to do some teeshirts too so they will get looked at. I’m so fussy about everything its taking a while to get them sorted. A month or so after Mikal’s single drops we’ve got a musical Sunchase piece and a dancefloor destroyer called ‘Green Rain’ by an exciting up-and-coming producer ‘Detail’ in April, followed by an Andyskopes amen 12″ then another Fields 12″ in July. Theres a tune I’ve done with Critical Impact and another with Break that are coming soon too, but you’ll have to wait and see.

DD: Best addition to cheese on toast?

Mako: English organic ham, some Butland Organic Mature Cheese and some homemade chutney.

Check out the previews of the deadly new single from Mikal below, and grab yourself a copy Feb 18th!

Rooted Recordings Q&A

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Chemical Ally’s brand new D&B label Rooted Recordings launched this week with some top notch techstep from Fade, 2Sides, Chemical Ally and Lady Flava. We caught up with Ally for a quick Q&A about the label.

DNB Dojo: There are so many small independent D&B labels about, especially in London. What inspired you to set up Rooted, and what sets it apart from other similar labels?

Chemical Ally: In music there are many independent labels across all genres, and I think it’s excellent. The ability for people to express themselves and maintain control of their own sound, Is what it’s all about. Let’s face it, this is about love for the sound that your label represents!

What sets it apart from other similar labels? Well I think in most cases what sets things apart, are the individuals behind the project and their motives. Some people maybe on to the next new sound, or be the next big thing. Or in my case, I aim to help maintain a sound and vibe, that i’m finding harder and harder to buy. I predominantly played Techno in my early DJing years and this then morphed into D&B. So Rooted will be styled from this mix of musical influences.

DD: Some of the tunes coming out on Rooted definitely hark back to a slightly older era of techstep production where menacing reese basslines were the order of the day. Was this a deliberate decision or just the best tunes you heard happened to be slightly “old school” in sound?

CA: This was a deliberate decision. D&B has many different affects on the dance floor, a warm fat bass that completely immerses you has the best effect of them all! In 1991 I was completely hooked on Rave music, 97-02 is my favourite period in D&B. This is and will always be the golden era for me, I consider myself Oldskool in mind. The early rave years combined with my love for Techno and late 90’s D&B will all have influence on Rooted recordings.

DD: Which producers are exciting you most in the scene just now?

CA: There are so many. Obviously the artists that have featured on Rooted001. Fade is consistently churning out music he’s like a machine, I’m sure we’re gonna see a lot from him over the coming years. 2Sides is another force to be reckoned with, fresh people with fresh ideas. Artists such as Edit, xtrah, Villem, Fields, Mako, Krakota are all featuring heavily in the sets i’m playing. Then you have the veteran producers such as Break, Total Science, Marcus Intalex, that relentlessly provide music that keeps the scene buoyant.

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Check out the tunes from Rooted001 below and grab yourself a copy from Beatport!

Break Presents…The Other Side [Symmetry]

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Symmetry Recordings, the label owned by drum & bass legend Break, have been gearing up for a while now to release The Other Side, the label’s third album and the first to feature tracks from artists other than Break. Ahead of the release we caught up with Break for a quick Q&A about the album.

DNB Dojo: Since this is a collaboration album, who would you do a collab with if you could pick any musician alive or dead, and why?

Break: Its very hard, the list could be very long…would love to work with Marlena Shaw or Sade, they’re two of my favourite singers.

Ooh or Seal if it was a guy!

DD: Was there a deliberate decision to shift the output of Symmetry away from your own productions and onto releasing more tunes from other producers, or did it just evolve that way organically?

Break: A bit of both…I have been releasing tracks from other artists for a little while, but so many great tracks were getting sent, it seemed right to do an album. Could probably do another one soon, there’s so many good producers Im feeling at the mo.

DD: What’s your favourite track out of everything you’ve ever written? For me it’s probably between Is This What You Want and Too Much, though I also have a lot of time for Our World (from the Breakout EP you did for Eastside back in 2003)

Break: Bit like the first question pretty hard to say. Pleased you remember Our World,  that was one of my favourites at the time, sounds a bit gnarly now, but the vibe is rolling. I really like Let it Happen, Last Chance Remix, Love So True, and Evil Twin. Lightspeed also gives me goosebumps everytime…there’s not many DnB tunes that do that for me…Think I’m more into the musical ones with heavy bass, my favourite combo.

DD: What’s next for the label after this album? Any exciting future plans you’d care to tell us about?

Break: We will be releasing some exciting remixes from the album, and there are several tracks that I’m trying to get my hands on, so a few more singles to come soon as well.

Ive been working on a non Dnb album with the singer Kyo, the band is called “Degrees of Freedom”, watch out for the first single coming soon. I’ts basically everything we’re into that isn’t DnB.

DD: The album features a nice variety of styles from more liquidy stuff to the really hard hitters like Kicked To Death. Which styles of drum & bass do you find it more fun to write, and to DJ?

Break: It kinda is 6 of one half a dozen of the other…Kicked To Death totally smashes it in every rave I’ve played, but it was designed to do that, after working on that in the studio for a while, can give you a bit of a headache… it’s so loud and lairy…whereas working on Who We Are, which is one of the more liquidy tracks on the album, I find more enjoyable and satisfying… basically I’m more into piano than synths!

DD: Any tips for budding drum & bass producers? What can make a track great rather than just good?

Break: I think there is an element of hit and miss. Not every tune can be amazing….you can’t expect to be able to do that…..whenever I try and make my best ever tune it’ss totally rubbish and contrived! When you nail a vibe that you’re really into, that usually will come through in the music. Often less is more….I find that all you need is 4 or 5 tracks in your arrangement to have a killer….any more is usually just filler.

Check out previews of the album below and grab yourself a copy from your favourite shop on digital and vinyl, out now!

Octane & DLR Interview

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Last month Octane & DLR released their highly anticipated debut album Method in the Madness to the delight of drum & bass heads everywhere. We caught up with the guys for a quick Q&A about the album and their plans for the future.

DNB Dojo: The album includes a variety of styles, not just the drum & bass you’re known for. Was that a new thing for the album, or have you guys been writing other styles for a while and just not releasing them?

Octane & DLR: We’ve been writing more downtempo music under the name Cymatic for a while. The collective consists of the both of us, Octane & DLR, along with Ruckspin & Quantum Soul.  It’s not a project we’ve wanted to shout about too much because everyone involved already has their own projects with their own workload already quite heavily packed and that doesn’t leave much time for us all to get together. We have released a few things.  Most recently, Electric Church / Jungle Fever and Glue / Hound Dog.  Both 12″s on Box Clever.

With the Method album we wanted to show all of our colours and it made sense for us to add some of our newer Cymatic material.

DD: What’s your favourite tune on the album? Or failing that, which one has been generating the most buzz?

O & DLR: We can’t give you our favourites because we’re completely numb to the whole album after spending so much time writing it! From what we’ve seen so far, the two clear favourites seem to be Murmur (ft. Break) and Set Up The Set (ft. Script).  They’re both definitely the most dancefloor orientated tracks and we expected they’d be the tracks to make an initial impact but maybe people’s favourites will change in time. We’d like to think the album has the ability to grow on people too.

DD: What’s next after the album release? World Tour? Or are you gonna take some time off?

O & DLR: We thought we’d take a little time off but that hasn’t happened yet. We’ve recently remixed Stone & Gerra‘s Dronehead and Dabs‘ Who is Gonna Lead and written another track with Break for the Forthcoming Symmetry VA album.  We’ve got a lot more studio work in progress and we’re touring with the album so I think a bit of time off is out of the question just for now.

EB: It’s been a big year for you, with releases on some legendary labels and tons of gigs all over the place. What’s been your highlight of 2012 so far?

O & DLR: Actually finishing the album within our lifetime and without killing each other and/or Ant (TC1).  Then, on the gigs front, Outlook 2012 without question.  For anyone who hasn’t been out there, you really need to make 2013 happen.  Vibes are just incredible!

DD: One for the production geeks out there, what’s your studio setup like in terms of hardware and software?

O & DLR: We love our hardware.  We’ve been through so much kit, it’s ridiculous (and expensive).  There are pictures of our combined studio at www.exhaleaudio.co.uk (where we wrote most of the album). In all honesty though, some software lately has just blown us away. UAD, Waves, Airwindows, Brainworx and Flux are some of the best processors we’ve heard. It’s hard to believe how far technology has moved on and the new wave of inverse distortion plugins is really capturing the analogue inconsistencies that computer musicians were craving.

DD: Wanna tell us a bit more about the Cymatic project?

O & DLR: There’s the two of us [Chris and J] along with Dom (Ruckspin, Submotion Orchestra, Author) and Guy (Quantum Soul). It’s a strange project because although we all love it so much, we rarely all get the chance to be in the same place at the same time due to our solo commitments. When we do, however, there’s usually a few all-night sessions and we really tend to ‘go in’ on the music. The four of us all bring something unique to the sessions and we always manage to keep a vibe going. Having four heads involved is certainly a great way to stay inspired. 2013 will see more Cymatic material.  There’s already more music in the works.

DD: Who are your favourite producers right now?

O & DLR: We don’t really have favourite artists. We’re both on the same page when it comes to this. We’ve always had the idea that we don’t want to sound like anyone or be influenced by anyone else. Obviously we’ve been influenced by everything we’ve heard and enjoyed and it must come through in our own works to some degree but to pin down a favourite artist/producer is near on impossible because there’s just so much amazing music out there.

DD: Lastly, what (in your opinion) is the best record ever? Any era, any style, any musician

O & DLR: I can’t remember what it was or who it was by but it was probably on a tape pack from 1994 and it went something like ‘da dee naa naaa  dum dum’ and had loads of samples in it…that same rave scene inspired everything we all know as dance music now. We’re lucky in that we’ve had Drum & Bass for 20 years now!

Check out clips of the album below and grab yourself a copy from the Dispatch Store at Surus.co.uk.