Diffrent Q&A

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!

In The Mix…Paradox [Samurai Music]

To celebrate their 20th release from the mighty Paradox, Samurai Music have convinced the man himself to present their official podcast, and he comes correct with a quality selection of drumfunk including both sides of the aforementioned 12″, Crate Logic / Scorpius. With funk drum programming so under-represented on the scene these days, it’s good to see Paradox is still flying the flag and resisting the temptations of other more fashionable sub styles. Check out the mix below and look out for the limited edition marbled 12″ from 25th Feb on the Samurai Surus page.

Utopia Music Q&A

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!

Get To Know…Jungle Cakes

JungleCakes

Those with a taste for cheery Dubwize D&B (or who know the owners from their other work in the Breaks world) may still have overlooked Jungle Cakes. The label has a pretty low profile, existing as an outlet for Deekline and Ed Solo‘s explorations into bouncy, jungle influenced tunes, but they’ve racked up a tidy selection of 12″s over the last few years and anyone who has seen Parker or Serial Killaz throw down will likely have heard at least a few of the tunes.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uem9MWW1bs]

Early releases like 2009’s No No No (You Don’t Love Me) and Ragga Tip (Walk and Skank) shamelessly mined well known reggae vocals to great effect, layering dub and reggae style guitar and piano melody with up front rolling breakbeats and warm, simple basslines to produce grooves that are simply too infectious to argue with! This tradition continued well into 2011 with the likes of Sensi ripping up the dancefloors at D&B and reggae nights alike.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEbKVclFeuE]

More recently the label has started fielding releases from a wider range of artists both well known and obscure, with lower tempo jungle breaks from The Freestylers on Entertainer, slightly tougher amen rollers from JFB with Tequila Sunrise and Five On It and soulful dubwize rollers from Cain & Wakcutt with Night Nurse.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpTs3KWSFAw]

So if you yearn for the days of ragga jungle or just love an infectious groove and some reggae influenced beats, check out the Jungle Cakes back catalogue!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-ilLxzDkak]

In The Mix…Symbiosis

Glasgow drum & bass crew Symbiosis return after a slight hiatus with the latest episode in their regular podcast series for Radio Magnetic. Episode 11 sees regulars Calaco Jack & Yellow Benzene bringing a nice mixture of all the styles of drum & bass, with tracks from Calibre, Bungle, Zero T, The Upbeats, Fourward and more. Check it out over here.

Best of Trust In Music – The Remixes [Free Download]

The nice folk at Trust In Music are back with yet another free giveaway in the form of four deadly neurofunk remixes from Rregula & Dementia, Billain, Jade & CliffHanga. They’re all pretty pounding but my pick of the bunch is Rregula & Dementia’s remix of Neonlight’s Frozen Tape. Check it out below and grab the whole EP from the TIM Free Downloads page!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeguA6Lr6bY]

Calibre – Fabriclive 68 [Fabric]

calibre 22.1.13_057a

Calibre has always been a quiet, enigmatic legend; he doesn’t play out regularly, nor does he often deal with the press, and he’s never bothered to maintain much of an online presence, preferring to let his tunes speak for themselves. Good for him then that they speak volumes, in a soothing, soulful tone of voice. Already held in immense esteem by most of the drum & bass community, his induction into the Fabriclive hall of fame merely cements the position he’s been occupying for well over a decade.

Those familiar with Calibre’s output will find few surprises but plenty to love on his mix for Fabric. Comprised mostly of his own tunes or remixes, the rest of the material comes from the likes of Lynx, dBridge and Marcus Intalex. The mix is an effortless journey through deep, soulful, melancholy drum & bass, and the selection is complemented by absolutely pitch perfect mixing from one tune to the next.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkmfomqodLs]

Fans of the deeper side of the genre shouldn’t hesitate to grab a copy of this when it hits the shelves on March 18th. I know I’ll be coming back to this one time and time again!

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Mould & Fabric

In The Mix…Ulterior Motive

The mighty Ulterior Motive have put together a rather tasty ‘All Headz’ mix ahead of next month’s Star Warz event in Belgium. Consisting of (you guessed it) nothing but Metalheadz tracks, the mix features a tasty range of tracks from the likes of dBridge, Break, Spectrasoul, Lenzman, Goldie, Ed Rush, FD and S.P.Y, spanning the range of Metalheadz material.

Check out the mix below, and if you’re in Belgium on March 2nd be sure to head down to Kunstencentrum Vooruit to catch sets from Goldie, Dillinja, Ulterior Motive, Jubei and Amit at the Star Warz Metalheadz takeover!

Marvellous Cain – The Hitman (Bladerunner Remix) [Yardrock]

Bladerunner holds a special place in the current D&B scene as one of few purveyors of what could really be called modern Jungle, and I always look forward to more of his tunes. Good choice from the newly relaunched Yardrock label to remix a classic from Marvellous Cain’s back catalogue!

Look out for more from Yardrock over the coming months, big tings a gwan…

InsideInfo – Sundew [Free Download!]

InsideInfo’s productions have been going from strength to strength over the last couple of years, and his style of slightly-more-melodic-than-the-norm neurofunk makes a welcome change from the heftier more atonal material that many producers are slinging.

The man has been kind enough to offer up a freebie in association with Viper called Sundew, and it packs melody, energy and bass in equal measure.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv8MLNN1yZs]

The track is available as a free download from InsideInfo’s Facebook page so go grab yourself a copy!