Your remix with Drumsound of Aquasky’s “Time Up” was clearly one of the baddest, most energetic tracks of the year. ‘Nuff respect for that one! Do you think it will go down in the vaults as a classic for you guys? What have the general reactions been like?

Well, we’ve known the Aquasky boys for sometime so it was and honour and a pleasure to be asked to remix a track for their album.. The remix was a massive dancefloor hit for us and I’m really pleased  with the support it received from all the A list DJs and more and its defiantly one of our finest remixes….I still have it in my box to drop as it always takes the party vibe to another level…

You had been making tracks for quite a while before you hooked up with your production partner Drumsound. How and when did you meet him and why did you decide to co-produce with him?

I met Andy Drumsound when we were both resident at a club night in Derby in 1999. After we finished our sets we had many a chat at the bar and that's where it all began...

A few beers and laughs later, chat's about music and our productions, it was obvious we had a lot in common.

We would meet up in the week to listen to each others tunes. After a few months we decided to start making a few tunes together and the resulting tunes were good. As I had experience in running a label we decided that we should start a label so we could release the tunes we had produced together....Technique Recordings was born...                                                                                                                                    

Over the last 5 years drum ‘n’ bass has made serious headway in many countries outside the in the last few years. Which ones have you had really amazing experiences in?

For me it defiantly has to be ...I have played there a few times now. Moscow and St Petersburg and Ekaterinburg. The highlight being the 'World Of Drum and Bass' event in Jan...15,000 mad for it hungry ravers packed in a massive arena. The whole stage show was incredible and the people so friendly. Other good events; Los Angeles: Nocturnal Wonderland, Paris: I Love Jungle in Paris...overall the world scene is very healthy and it’s good to see the genre spread the world over.

You will be playing at Moondance’s massive 12^th birthday celebrations at The Renaissance Rooms on September 9^th. What are your earliest Moondance memories? Have you been playing for them for long?

I have played quite a few Moondance parties over the years and these parties have always been wicked…..as far back as ‘94 I think I can remember playing for them. The parties at Camden palace we’re always a smasher too.

12 years is a pretty long time in club land. What do you think it takes for a club to remain successful for this long?

I think you have to know your crowd and market forces. You have to give value for money and you have to keep it fresh….I think Moondance have managed this very well.

In genres like house and techno, new DJ technologies such as Ableton Live and FX units are embraced in a big way. Have the recent developments in this field started to have much of an effect in the DnB scene yet?

Not has much as in other genres but time will tell which way things go in drum and bass and what DJ/artists’ preferred method of playing music will be. I play vinyl!

Did the whole Street Technique project work out for you in the end? You worked with a whole load of great artists on that album...

Yes the Street Technique compilation album has worked out very well for us as artists and as a label. We had some top quality established artists on board (Roni Size, Fresh, Friction, Tali, J Majik & Wickaman) as well as some of the finest new kids on the block (Phesta, Skyver & D Jon, Youngnan, Bad Robot)...

Part 1 and Part 2 plus the double CD are all now available in all good stores and the final piece of the Street Tech LP will actually be released the end of Sept.. Check out our new online store where you can buy releases and promos and also download mp3s from the album and back cataloge...

www.techniquerecordings.co.uk

Its good to do at least 1 big project a year then that’s the main focus….

There have been periods in time when there have been threats of drum ‘n’ bass getting into the mainstream in a big way, but it’s never really happened. Why do you think this is, and do you prefer it that way?

From time to time a drum and bass track will enter the mainstream charts and that's all good........but this music has never been tailored for chart success and that's why it still has the longevity.

You have to remember that the mainstream have built up other genres before only to crush them after bleeding them dry...so I do see it as a good thing that drum and bass is like 15 years old and is still growing strong without too much mainstream interference in that time...it’s been able to gravitate from within and will continue to do so. Every now and again a track’s popularity springboards into the nationals and thus putting the spotlight for a minute onto drum and bass.

Who in the new generation of producers and DJs, drum ‘n’ bass or otherwise, do you really rate?

There are quite a few new generation producers and DJs that have the potential to do well if they work hard.

Phetsta & Bad Robot – From Perth, !

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/BASSLINESMITH
 

Interview by Benz

Comment on this Interview