Kidz Rage !

I recently had the honor of publishing an interview i had with legendary B Real from Cypress Hill on Media Contender:

http://mediacontender.com/2008/12/10/b-real-exclusive-qa-high-rankin-remix/

hope you enjoy

E

1 comment

T_! INTERVIEW & MIX - February ‘08

–

Download the mix here (tracklisting below interview)

PIXELFACTOR:

We’ve seen your name about in the scene for quite sometime now. How did your career start, and how did you get to where you are today?

T_!:

Well I first got on the Djin circuit aged 16, blimey, 7 years ago now. I got my family to blame for my love of music and bass, my Dad has such diverse music taste and I was educated on literally everything throughout childhood, plus he plays bass guitar. I’ve always loved the fact you can physically feel bass aswell as heard it. After becoming hooked on pirate radio from age 12 or so and thanks to my older sisters Dreamscape tapes, all I wanted to do was DJ. There was a record shop in my hometown Stevenage (Big Drum Records) which was like my Mecca, and they were associated with local pirate Impact FM. Around that time UK Garage was kicking off and the guys in the shop kept me educated. After a few months of buying tunes and locking myself in my room on my beloved Soundlab belt drives teaching myself to mix, I got a Saturday morning show shortly after my 16th birthday Djin as “TNT”. Over time things progressed with a local residency, and bookings round Herts/Beds and Bucks and before I know it I was 18 and doing the rounds on the local UKG circuit, and at one stage doing 3 pirate stations a week. I always liked to mix up darker UKG with the nicer more vocal bits, and followed the progression through to Grime as it retained those, dark, industrial sounds.

I’m so so passionate about DJin, so I guess just grafting, putting myself about and working hard has got me here now.

PIXELFACTOR:

We understand that you produce and DJ Dubstep ? How did you get into this genre, and what about it do you like / dislike? Are you involved with any other genres?

T_!:

Production not just yet, I got a few bits unfinished but the man with the plan production wise is R.Demon, the guys a veteran, and he knows his shit! My productions will be about in the future, keep eyes peeled!

I’d been buying dubstep bits for years, Geoff Big Drum got me hooked on El-B/Gurley/Zed Bias/Ghost Recordings/Vehicle stuff, and I became tired of the bad attitude of Grime, there was no focus on the DJ creating the vibes anymore. So, 2 and a bit years ago, after experiencing Filthy Dub @ the Telegraph, I switched to concentrating on Dubstep, and working alongside Macabre Unit, trying to educate people around the Home Counties and East Anglia about it…

I don’t know if there’s anything I dislike about Dubstep, everything is good right now. I love the community spirit, the vibe at dances, the way a bassline can beat the shit out of you, the levels of production, and the diversity of everything that falls under the umbrella “Dubstep”. It’s when you start splitting it up and pigeon-holing it you’ll get problems.

I still play Old Skool Garage bookings, and there’s obviously the Drum and Bass side of Stink Like Sock, but dubstep is something I’m so mad about it takes up most of my time!

Involvement in other genres in kind of limited to just listening to them!

PIXELFACTOR:

As a Dubstep producer / DJ…..who are your favorite and most inspiring artists, both in & out of the Dubstep scene and why ?

T_!:

Within the scene obviously people like Mala, you can see the passion he has for the music, and you can feel it in his beats and in his sets. And people that have kept on it from day dot when it was so small, and continued due to their love of the music, not how much money they can line their pockets with.

Guys like Raff aswell (R.Demon Macabre Unit) cos he’s kept his sound unique, but still moved with the times. Being out in the sticks aswell its harder to get the sounds out there. He’s got tunes that came out in 2001 and 7 years later is still getting beats signed to labels like Boka, he has belief in his sound.

Toasty= gangster, the guy’s on some next level stuff, you could tell from his early work. It’s a shame we don’t hear more from him but it’s quality over quantity at the end of the day.

Dj wise, well I’m all about technical mixing so Youngsta and N-Type top it, I got a lot of respect for what they do.

PIXELFACTOR:

If you could have a peek in any dj’s record bag…who would it be and why ?

T_!:

Definitely Kode 9, you never know what he’s gonna have in there!

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you name a few artists off the top of your head that influence and inspire your sound ?

T_!:

Inspire my sound as regard DJ sets? I’m not sure I like to think I can take a little bit from all of the artists I’m feeling and give a proper cross section of dubsteps different aspects when I play.

PIXELFACTOR:

What’s your favorite drink/smoke ?

T_!:

Alcoholic- Brandy and Coke, all day. Shmokey- Super Silver Haze is a favorite, and I love a good sativa strain but they are so hard to come by in the UK. Also, being close to it’s town of origin, you can’t beat a bit of Cheese.

PIXELFACTOR:

How do you see the future of Dubstep ?

T_!:

It’s got a strong future. A lot of people are worried it’ll go like drum and bass and get commercialized, and raves will become full of dickheads with attitude. I think it’s a marmite thing. You can’t fake liking dubstep, you’d stick out a mile. It’s not a mainstream thing, it can’t become high street, it’s deeper than that. People that might flood dubstep because they see it’s the “in thing” will either become hooked on the music for the music, or not get on with it. It’s about a big dark room, big sub and system, and the music above all else. Not about dress codes, what people look like, how they dance, how many girls you can pull in one night, club décor, some DJ who thinks he’s gods gift, and a tangible “image”. When the commercial crowd come looking for this in a dance they ain’t gonna get it, they will either feel the music, or turn up their nose and leave. I think that’s why its been growing at a steady rate, people are getting hooked on the raw elements of dubstep, while the image chasers and cool squad have nothing to attach to themselves too.

You know when you’re standing in Leeds West Indian Centre at 5am sweating your balls off, with the lights on an every head in there is standing saluting, looking like they skanked for the last 6 hours, it ain’t about image.

PIXELFACTOR:

How did you get involved with Macabre Unit ?

T_!:

R.Demon and Niner had always been about, I’m based in Stevenage and they were up the road in Bedford. I’d always been aware of them being in the locality, heads like us are few and far between in our areas, and I chatted to the guys and collected beats at a few raves. I think I hooked up with them properly after djin with Raff @ Paradiso in Dam 2 years ago, started picking up beats on a regular and pushing them. We worked for a while on raising attention on the artists in the Home Counties, with IMP Batch and Macabre both running through 1xtra on Cameos show in 2006. [It was after that I had to switch from TNT to T_! after veteran producer Trend had a polite word] I’ve always been a fan of that dark, techy, sininster sound (sKum) as R.Demon calls it, and it seemed to fit so well with Dubstep I was playing, it seemed a natural progression. The Macabre production sound has continued to evolve I feel works so well with the current sounds I’m playing, so it’s mad not to push them. Rep your ends and all that!

PIXELFACTOR:

What’s your favourite show played to date ?

T_!:

Blimey there’s been a few thinking back. Dubstep wise, when me and Raff played Dubpressure in Brighton last summer (large up DP gang!), it was bananas! Such good crowd participation and response, the vibe in there was amazing. One of those ones where you finish your set with a proper grin on your face.
Playing at Warning in Cambridge is always a big privilege aswell, considering it’s the UK longest running DnB night, and they are allowing me to rep Dusbtep there.

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you give us your 3 favorite websites you visit:
[Excluding myspace?]

T_!:

1.) www.dubstepforum.com all day, I’m hooked!

2.) www.radiopirates.co.uk cos I’m a pirate radio geek

3.) www.halifax.co.uk to check how well I’m doing at caining all my wages!

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you give us your 5 favorite Dubstep web links:

T_!:

1.) www.indiestore.com/demon

2.) www.subconscious-dubstep.com

3.) www.rinse.fm

4.) www.blackdownsoundboy.blogspot.com/

5.) www.getdarker.com

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you give us your current Top 5 Dubstep tracks:

1.) Benga- B4 the Dual

2.) R.Demon- No Soundbwoy No Cry

3.) Toasty- On Something

4.) Afterdark- No Badness

5.) R.Demon- Sunshine Remix

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you give us your current Top 5 other tracks which we might find on your Ipod:

T_!:

I flex a lot of old music on my mp3 player!

1.) Nas- One Mic

2.) Omni Trio- Renegade Snares

3.) The Clash- Rock the Casbah

4.) The Police- Roxanne

5.) Metalheadz- Inner City Life

PIXELFACTOR:

Any closing thoughts, shouts or greets?

T_!:

Big up my fam! Big up the Perception FM, Stink Like Sock and Macabre unit fams respectively. Out to the Warning crew, all the dubsteppers round the Home counties and beyond that are getting on it! Big up Bush, out to all Dj’s keeping it technical.

www.myspace.com/tntbatch is you - downloads and booking info!

–

Download the mix here

T_! Tracklisting:

T_! intro

Macabre Unit vs Don Goliath- No Soundbwoy, No Cry

Benga- 26 Basslines

Afterdark- No Badness

Skream- Nemesis

Sully- Flashback

>> Dexplicit- Blazer Riddim

Headhunter- Sushi Brain

Badwai vs Kode 9- Den of Drumz

Toasty- The Knowledge

Macabre Unit ft Don Goliath- Sunshine [rework]

Skream- I

TrillBass- Fucking Heater

Benga- The Kut

NIN- Hand That Feeds [Dreadless remix]

Coki- Shattered

Afterdark- Number 47

Kromestar- Surgery

Dee Pattern- Who’s The Badman

Skream- Oskillator

Mizz Beats- Saw It Coming [instrumental]

Benga- Zero M2

>> J-Sweet ft Aron soul- Marxman (oh no)

DJ Oddz- Toilet water

The Bug ft Killa P and Flo Dan- Skeng

Macabre Unit- Beserkoman

Virgo- Sad Song

Monkeydubz- Venus In Furs [remix]

Skream- Chestboxing

>> Mondie ft Flirta D, Ribz, Napper, Shizzle- Pull Up Dat

>> Afterdark-Raw

9 comments

Last month at SuperDubPressure in Brighton I had the lovely experience of catching this wicked duo performing live. A dj and a vocalist, who both smashed the dance up!

Here’s a snippet from their MySpace profile:

Dokkebi Q are an electronic dub punk group formed at the later end of 2006 by visual artist and vocalist Kiki Hitomi and electronic beat conductor Gorgonn. While living in the inspirational place Dalston, East London, they found a mutual appreciation and understanding for ‘black rebel music’ which has formed the basis of the Dokkebi Q sound. With Gorgonn’s attacking DSP mashed and hybridized together with Kiki’s bewitchingly smoky and dreamlike vocals, Dokkebi Q bring forth their own ‘roots’ from the indigenous Ainu tribe, Japan, Korea and the UK. “Dokkebi” is a mythical being taken from Korean folklore, mischievous in nature and with the power to wield and travel in the form of fire. They are the judgment of nature born of society’s hunger for manufactured commodities. In the form of their street style pop songs Dokkebi Q bring the real world illumination of the beast to the human race. Fire!!!!

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DOWNLOAD THE LIVE RECORDING HERE:

http://www.pixelfactor.org/mixes/Dokkebi_q_Pixelfactor_Mix.mp3

Dokkebi Q Interview – December 2007

EF: What does Dokkebi Q mean?

Dokkebi means goblin, ghost and monster in Korean. I am half Korean and almost half Japanese and bit of Russian girl. As I grew up in half Korean in Japan till age of 20th, sometime I had to hide I am half Korean that time (not now anymore tho) cos of the racial discrimination, I always wanted to show my identity. Then when I moved to England, I always said that I am half Korean. Now I formed a band with Gorgonn, I wanted name our band something relating to Korean.

We added “Q” with Dokkebi cos sound very good. There is a animation called “OBA Q” in Japan. OBA means Ghost in Japanese. So we thought it is funny called us Dokkebi Q = Oba Q!!

Also when we do more experimental stuff on the stage, we will call ourself Dokkebi E. So that people will know what we will play for the night!

EF: Where are both yourself and Gorgonn from originally?

We are from Japan. I am from Osaka and Gorgonn is from Chiba in Japan. We are both living in Dalston, London now.

EF: How did you and Gorgonn link up, where did you meet?

I was looking for flat mate and I put advertisement in Japanese food super market and then Gorgonn contact me and he came to see my flat. I thought he looks wicked, cos I never seen Japanese boy who got that long long natural dread locks. We talked a lot that time about music. I was really into reggae and he was more break core person. I wanted have new input and he introduced me lots of new music. I introduced him to roots stuff from reggae and now we both work together something in between.

EF: What kind of sound do you guys push? On your profile it says electro-punk, but after seeing you live….i would say your music stretches past those boundaries…any comments?

We wanna make something new. We called our sound mutant hybrid gumbo dub. Our background is very unique. Gorgonn used to be in the hardcore band, and then he was making break core and now I got really into 80’s digital dance hall or new roots. I listen to everything too. Love Japanese old school songs, Enka (it is really sound reggae!! and beats is almost Dubstep!) I love funk, soul, pop song, tribe song, reggae, dance hall, death metal, hip hop, break core and so on. I wanna do more experimental voice performance but also I want sing gooood too, like Etta James!

Therefore we will push our sound more hybrid mixture and my vocal will be always catchy but strange input, like all kinds of stinky foods! You know what I mean? People like stinky stuff. Like blue cheese or garlic, or salty fry fishes and stuff. When you taste them first time, you are so surprise and you can’t tell you like it or not. But later you will get addict to it!!! My voice performing, singing and melody are like that kind of STINKY FOODS! Gorgonn is the big chef who can make and mix the stinky gumbo hybrid soup!

EF: Please define “heavy space-echo to northeast London kebab house sounds”?

Haha, Gorgonn used to eat kebab all the time when he moved to east London!! Now I brainwashed him and he eats healthy foods like jap sea weeds!! But I guess he meant his heavy -echo sounds are coming from the consuming lots kebabs.

EF: Can you tell us more about the Ainu tribe?

Oh yes. Gorgonn’s grand dad is from Ainu tribe. Ainu tribe lives in very north part of Japan called HOKKAIDO. They are now part of Japan but they used to have their own land like Native Americans. But Japanese occupied and took their land away. It was used to be terrible racial discrimination. It is getting better now but still there are. Ainu people are looks very different. They look bit Polynesian; their eyes are big compare Japanese. Their hair is curly and very black. They have own language too. They are very different from Japanese face. I love their tribe music so much. Their tribe patterns on textile are very similar to American native ones. Very beautiful tribe. When I saw Gorgonn first time, I was wow! Beautiful boy. Beside he had long dread and looks not very Japanese face too. I felt he is very special and good musician by my instinct. He said his grandpa looks like Lee Perry!

EF: Up until now, where is your most favorite place or city to perform in?

Unmmm, so far we did only had only 5 gigs…! We still can’t tell where our fav is. But we got booked to play Superdubpressure in Feb 2008 in ROOM 1. So it will be a heavy 30k sound system! I cannot wait to play in big good sound system! Anywhere they have heavy heavy bass, we will be there rocking out! All about the bass!

EF: What do you like / dislike about London?

I like London a lot. Mixed races. Everyday I see many different stuff. So interesting. I almost love everything about London except weather…I love sunshine. But here is not many sunny days. However that why I can appreciate a lots the sunny day. And people are look so happy when it is sunny. Oh, I am writing new song. It will be heavy reggae song. It is called “English weather boy”! It’s about a man who changes his mind many times as like English weather. It’s a heart breaking love song!

EF: What is your most favorite British food, and least favorite?

Oh I love British food so much! I cannot choose one…banger and mash, baked beans, mush peas, black pudding, fish and chips, steak and kidney pie, jam rolly polly, bread pudding and all kind sweets except rice pudding…i thing eating rice for sweet is bit wrong for me as a jap.

EF: What do you miss about your homeland?

Fresh sea foods. Fresh red meat. My dad used to have steak house. So I am so fussy about good meat. In Japan they feed beer to cows and massage their body to make good tender meat. (Don’t mean cows go to pub and get pissed and go massage place though…!)

EF: How old are you guys?

I am 35 years old and Gorgonn is 25. He is my son!

EF: Please tell us a little about your homeland scene? The clubs, nightlife and general vibe?

I have not been back so long, so I don’t know much about the vibe over there now….but I guess Japan is such a music country. They dig all kinds of music and they like new stuff. The underground scene is big and so creative, lots new interesting stuff coming out!!

EF: Top 3 dj’s:

(Gorgonn)

1. Dj pika pika pika
2. Mark Iration
3. Dj 100000000

(Kiki)

1. Iration Steppas
2. ROKO
3. Kamelion Crying Hands

EF: Top 3 Producers (any genre):

(Gorgonn)

1. Neurosis
2. Anthony red rose
3. Mark Stewart

(Kiki)

1. Gorgonn
2. EYE (from Bordums)
3. MIke Patton

EF: Top 3 Tunes:

(Gorgonn)

1. fucking hostile (Pantera)
2. jamaican colley (Linval Thompson)
3. acid police (Boredoms)

(Kiki)

1. I Walk On Gilded Splinters (Dr. John)
2. Suspended Animation (Famtomas)
3. Stebenus Thema (African Head Charge)

EF: Anything you wanna let us in on for the future?

Yes we are releasing 12 inch soon. Hopefully in the end of this year or beginning of 2008! Including the killa tune, “Black Vomit” and “Hard-core Cherry Bon Bon”!

EF: Thank you guys for your time and the wicked mix!!

DOWNLOAD THE LIVE RECORDING HERE:

http://www.pixelfactor.org/mixes/Dokkebi_q_Pixelfactor_Mix.mp3

–

Up n coming gigs:

February 14 2008 - Platform 1 @ Corsica Studios, London (Elephant & Castle)

February 15 2008 - SuperDubPressure @ Concorde 2, Brighton

February 21 2008 - Venue unknown, Liverpool

March 12 2008 - SXSW festival @ Austin, Texas

—

Bookings: info(at)3qreq(dot)com

http://www.myspace.com/kikihitomi

http://www.3qreq.com

3 comments

Alex Incyde (Sub FM / Hotflush Recordings) - USA

Our first artist interview for my blog with Alex Incyde, who graciously also did an exclusive mix for us!!

Download it here.

Where are you from, and what are you doing in London ?

I’m from a small suburb outside Boston, MA. I’m here in London doing a
6-month work experience program with Hotflush Recordings through my
university in Boston.

How did you get involved with the Dubstep scene ?

I first got involved in the scene through the dubstep forum. I was
coming over for the DMZ 2nd Birthday Bash last March and linked up
with a few people from the forum, including Boomnoise, and the
Streamizm guys from Brighton who asked me to come down and do one of
their live videocasts. So I had met a few people before moving here,
but I mostly got involved just by going to the events and introducing
myself. It’s a pretty friendly scene so I got to know everyone fairly
quickly.

After being in London for a few months, seeing the scene here for
yourself, what conclusions can you make about it ? Anything you didnt
expect, or did expect ?

I can say that London is a very unique place that has this
extraordinary ability for cultivating an amazing musical culture. It’s
unlike anywhere else I’ve seen — people are very passionate about
their music. Not only do they just love a good party with good tunes,
but most importantly I’ve been so surprised by the amount of
commitment some people have to it — I mean the people like Georgina
Cook and Letty Fox who have been putting on dubstep nights since
before most people knew about dubstep, and all the label owners,
promoters, DJs and producers who put tireless hours of their free time
in just to make the scene what it is.

Before coming here I had no idea what the dubstep scene was like, so I
was expecting that all of the DJs and producers were like celebrities
in the London underground scene, but I soon found out that it’s not
really about who’s more important or who’s done what. All the DJs and
MCs you see playing at FWD, DMZ and everywhere else when they’re not
on stage are out on the dancefloor or socializing along with everyone
else.

What do you like / dislike about London ?

Aside from the music, what I like about London is it’s so diverse.
There are so many different accents, nationalities, and cultures all
living in one place. It always keeps things interesting for me. The
only thing I don’t like is the exchange rate. Ha.

What is your history as being a dj ?

Ever since being exposed to electronic music in my mid-teens I was
always fascinated by the DJ’s ability to single-handedly make a whole
crowd of people dance and have fun. I finally picked up some decks and
a mixer in late 2004 and started buying records. I quickly went from
progressive house to tech-house to breaks to drum & bass to minimal
techno. In the summer of 2006 I was playing at a house party in Boston
and heard someone spinning dubstep. From there I was hooked on the
sound.

Who inspires you musically and why ?

Richard D. James. His productions as Aphex Twin (and the other
aliases) have always inspired me because of the sheer array of sounds
that he uses to create such a unique sounding music, all from the mind
of one man. Listening to his music it always takes me somewhere else,
into this sonic world that he’s managed to create. That’s something I
hope to be able to do someday.

Top 3 Dj’s:

1.) Scientist

2.) Appleblim

3.) Heny G

Top 3 producers:

1.) Headhunter

2.) Distance

3.) Scuba

Top 3 Labels:

1.) DMZ

2.) Hotflush

3.) Hyperdub

Top 3 Tunes (any genere):

1.) Aphex Twin - Windowlicker

2.) Massive Attack - Group Four

3.) Richie Hawtin - The Tunnel

What about the “Dubstep” sound drew you closer to it more than any of
the other genres you used to spin ?

First, the bass weight. Second, the tempo. Both of these things
initially drew me to it because it values the “bass, pace, and space”
as it’s called. But most importantly, in dubstep what attracts me to
it is the massive amount of musical styles and influences that affect
each producer’s individual sound. It’s this diversity that initially
drew me to it, however lately I’m finding that these “unique” sounds
are becoming harder and harder to find, with more and more mediocre
tunes coming out that seem like they’re trying to imitate another
producer or just sounds uninspired.

If you had to describe the sound, culture and scene of the “Dubstep
Revolution”, how would you do that to someone that had never heard of
it ?

I would say that dubstep is a London-centric underground electronic
genre that developed from UK garage and dub culture but can
incorporate influences from virtually any other genre of music. It
typically plays around 140 beats per minute and uses lots of bass and
sub-bass. It also values heavy soundsystems with plenty of subs, and
has a very positive, friendly fan base.

Any other headz, crews or shouts you would like to give ?

Shouts out to the Streamizm crew, Antisocial crew, Paul Rose,
Boomnoise, Jennifer, Scientist, Mr Boxed, Georgie, Letty, Contakt,
Roko, and Skipple.

Download the mix here.

Tracklisting:

01. Sines - Test Five (Remix) [unreleased]
02. Headhunter - Quanta [forthcoming Tempa]
03. Subeena - Circular [forthcoming Immigrant]
04. Silkie - Brighter [forthcoming Deep Medi]
05. Jazzsteppa - jakin [forthcoming Hotflush]
06. Silkie - I Said [unreleased]
07. Heny G - Back In The Day [forthcoming Gangsta Boogie]
08. Parson - Ghost Liner (Distance Remix) [forthcoming Dubline]
09. Headhunter - Drop The Waste [forthcoming Tempa]
10. Cotti & Cluekid - The Legacy [-30]
11. Distance - Battle Sequence [Chestplate white]
12. Headhunter - Sushi Brain [forthcoming Tempa]
13. Jakes - 2 Steps Back [H.E.N.C.H. white]
14. Headhunter - Locus Lotus [forthcoming Tempa]
15. Ikonika - Please [unreleased]
16. Subeena - D.I.G. [unreleased]
17. Headhunter - Spyro [forthcoming Tempa]
18. Scuba - Out There [Hotflush white]
19. Elemental vs Lohan - Strange Brew [forthcoming Runtime]
20. Parson - Texas Crawl [unreleased]
21. Moldy - Now It’s Dark [unreleased]
22. Metalboxproducts - So Far Off Time [unreleased]
23. Boxcutter - Endothermic [Hotflush white]
24. Silkie - Jazz Dubstep [unreleased]
25. Scuba - Beta [Abucs white]

Bookings/contact: alex@hotflushrecordings.com
Web: www.myspace.com/incyde
Radio: www.subfm.com every Wednesday night 12-2am UK time

5 comments

Drumandbass.ch hosts a fresh interview with the Catacomb!

Check it out here.

Found from N.Phect & Dizplay’s blog.

via (anamorphosis)

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