Let’s start at the beginning: talk us through how you first got into the whole production thing. What sort of style did you start with?
Alright mate, well I’d always been interested in music itself; playing guitar in “bands” throughout my youth. Eventually I got in to electronic music and was like “hmm, how do they go about this then?” asked a few mates and got myself a laptop and FLstudio. Won’t lie, when I first started producing it was mainly really bad borderline bro-step nonsense. Actually found the first things the other day… Kind of wish I hadn’t haha.
How did you first discover dubstep and underground music?
I was just starting college and my mate Noztaw was already pretty in to DnB, but I’d been listening to Queens of the Stone Age almost exclusively since I was 12, so I was tentative of all the crazy sounds and rhythms at first. He showed me some dubstep as he thought I’d probably be more in to it with its slower, weirder vibe, and he was right. From then on I just went in, started looking in to it more; past the Chase and Status/DJ Hazard realms and found the scene I’m so interested in today.
Talk us through your studio process a bit.
90% of the time it’s unplanned. I like to keep my monitors set up near to (at the moment right next to) my general chilling area (or bed if you will) so if the mood strikes I can just get to it. Had a mac disaster last year that’s left it a bit immobile, so I have to have it constantly set up. I work pretty fast though, the longer I spend on something the less pleased with it I can get (with a few exceptions obviously). I’ll have a tune done in a day or two, but that’s like literally not closing Ableton for that entire time, often forsaking sleep. As a matter of fact, just last month I ended up staying up for 2 nights and made 3 tunes. It’s just a good outlet… and there isn’t much to do round here at the minute haha.
What (if anything) made you decide it was time to start on an album?
I’d always been wary of the idea, thinking of an album as being a pretty big statement, especially a debut. It wasn’t my original plan this soon in my production career to be getting on this sort of project but I started getting some tunes together and was sending them to Ed (Seven) when he suggested it. I thought about it for a little bit and then just decided to go for it. The bits I’d been making had a theme building and I felt like it was the right time to get this sort of thing on the way.
Talk us through your favourite track from the album.
Tough one to call, as a few spring to mind, but I think it’s got to be Triplicity (with Simetra). It was the tune that sparked the idea of an album and in fact I was just thinking this morning how it’s probably one of the best examples of my tunes; I found a lot of my sort of “style” in it. I dunno, we both put a lot of work in to it, I remember it feeling like something a bit different from the very first 16 bars. Got the beat together pretty quick, and then Gwen smashed it with the vocals. I think it was about the time I got a little AKAI midi controller (with the pads, can’t remember the name) and just sat there for hours messing around with those little vocals (the weird trippy ones that come in at the drop and around the “real” ones) and it all came together. Reminds me of some good weird times.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the scene?
I’m not sure if I’m like, qualified to make any serious statements, but I have a few thoughts I guess. Us LSN lot have been cooped away up in North Wales the last few years so we don’t get to see much of the “scene” but we have our own little underground melting pot of culture going on up there. This last year though, we’ve had chances to go play nights in London, Bristol, Belgium and obviously Outlook last summer, and got to see how similar and different things can be, but generally, there’s a positivity to it, people always enjoy it… I dunno; there’s labels, blogs and producers going round saying (or being misquoted as saying) “dubstep is dead” or “long live dubstep, it’s coming back” etc. and I don’t think it’s really fair or that possible for any single individual (or source) to kill or revive a genre or scene. A genre is a form of musical expression with a little name on it, the scene is the people that enjoy it/are involved in it. I guess as long as there are people to enjoy it then it’s all cool.
If you could have made any one tune by another artist (from any genre) what would it have been?
Queens of the Stone Age – In the Fade, it’s just my favourite thing in the world. The musicality of it, the beat, the words, just everything. It’s the one. If you’re not knowin I’m here to let you know.
What’s the messiest night out you’ve ever been involved in?
What recently? Haha hmm.. I probably can’t remember fully, but there’s been quite a few in the last few months… Me and Noztaw had a little dnb set at Fire dahn Lahndahn (as LSN) a few months ago, I have a few messy photos from the night, and no recollection of anything I played except for two tunes… not even the two buses we apparently got back to our mates. So yeh could well be that one, that said last year we had a “Spring Break” up in North Wales, pretty much seshed nonstop for a week. Think a bunch of us went up and stayed in a log cabin in the middle of a secluded forest for Na-kika’s birthday on the first night, then there was a festival we played at in some nearby estate the next day or two… or maybe Gottwood was the weekend. Needless to say from my inability to remember it implies was pretty messy haha
Who would win in a fight: two pandas (angry ones) or The Mitchell Brothers?
Angry pandas mate, they are bears after all; man is only man. Unless there are weapons involved, that’d tip the scales.
Nah mate, Mitchell Brothers would shit a pair of pandas out before breakfast. Grant would literally pull the wool over their eyes with his 2XL bomber jacket then Phil would mow ‘em down in the Jag. End of… Anyway that’s probably not entirely relevant.
To round up the interview: what’s the rest of the year got in store for yourself and the LSN tribe of North Wales?
Tough to say, we don’t really like to plan beyond the next week or so. That said I think the general plan is for us to head back up North Wales ways. A few of us moved to Manchester and dispersed a little last Summer, with the plan on settin up a little LSN base here, but I dunno… I just miss it back there, and I’m pretty sure the others do too. Music wise, I’m actually workin on another album with LSN, something a bit less genre-defined, excited to see how that’ll come together. Hopefully get out and about again, do some nights here and there, leave my job and ascend to higher state of spiritual awareness.
Just wanted to say, nice one for the interview man, still all proper mad this stuff happenin. Big love to GetDarker!
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Dank beats. Dope Interview ‘FEONIX’ I love ya geeza!