You didn’t always play Jungle, why the switch?
“I was listening to all kinds of music, mostly hip hop and some house, but I was spinning mostly hip hop. A friend of mine started listening to jungle mix tapes and he took me to a rave where they were playing jungle. I really liked jungle when I heard it live and loud. I also noticed that it was about twice the beats per minute of the hip hop that I had already been spinning for a couple of years I thought “oh you know maybe I’ll start spinning this. I wonder if anyone has tried blending this with Hip-Hop.” It turned out at the time I couldn’t really locate anyone already doing it so I started.”
So the Hip-Hop translated well?
“I think up till that point in Toronto, Jungle was a lot like House in the regard that Jungle DJ’s spun records. They didn’t try tricks really, they didn’t want to scratch. They wanted to do smooth blends and mixes and not draw attention to what they were doing on the turntables. I think that is what’s different about traditional Hip-Hop DJ’s is that a lot of trickery is involved with juggling and scratching. So I came through and brought that element to Jungle. For me it was a natural transition. But I know for sure that a lot of DJ’s really didn’t think it was appropriate. A lot of (Jungle DJs) were saying “That’s the Hip-Hop way of DJing, why are you bastardizing our music with Hip Hop?” Just the same as I’m sure a lot of Hip-Hop people thought “Why are you bastardizing our music with jungle?””
What how are you received internationally in comparison to you fans here in Toronto?
“All the places I’ve played a lot receive me the same way as Toronto, where I’ve also played a lot over the years. I’d say a place like New York, Florida, Colorado and Alberta all receive me pretty much the same way. I’ve played Germany once or twice, Austria maybe once and England maybe a dozen times or so. There I’m not so well known but in the U.S.A. and Canada people have heard me enough times that they come out and support.”
What’s the best venue you’ve ever played?
“It’s pretty hard to pick one out of a pile. There have been hundreds of shows and when you do it every week they do start to melt together in your mind a little. Playing the first time in Berlin for a Love Parade wrap-up party was a really cool venue and a really good crowd. There was also the first time in Tokyo was a venue called the Liquid Room which was really cool and had a really good sound system. The older Liquid Adrenaline parties that happened in Toronto were great. They stand out in my mind as being really, really good. Surprisingly, I’ve had a really good time playing in Denver Colorado.”
Is there a big Drum’n’Bass following out there?
“Yah, They like electronic music overall. I think the scene is kind of shrinking in most places compared to how it was 6 or 7 years ago, but Denver seems to be one place where its not. Los Angeles is another place where it’s pretty huge still.”
How do you thing the Canadian scene is looking as far as the EMS goes?
“Honestly, grim, that’s probably not the response you usually hear in an interview but it seems electronic music is shrinking in almost every market I can think of. Even in Europe where it’s the biggest, it’s not as big as it used to be. Years ago electronic music was growing because new people were getting into electronic music that hadn’t heard of it before. I think now most people into electronic music are veterans of it. There’s just not a very big feeding pool of young people who are getting into it. Today they’re getting into Indie Rock and Hip-Hop.”
How are you fighting the trend?
“I’ve launched a record label called Freaky Flow Recordings, The strategy of my new label is, instead of just putting out hard rockin’ Drum and Bass tunes that are only going to appeal to those who already like D'n'B, rather, I’m trying to put out music that generates interest from people who have never heard electronic music by introducing something familiar to them like Hip-Hop or Trip-Hop or a more down-tempo tune that sounds a little more similar to something they might hear on the radio.
Right now there’s this one group I’ve signed called the Heavy Petters. I was very minimally involved in writing the music. They wrote most and produced most of it. I just kind of oversaw and am now heading up the marketing of the album “Smell the Glove”. But yeah, I was really happy with their work. It’s a good diverse range. I’m hoping maybe (people) will go out and buy the Heavy Petters album, and discover real D'n'B on there as well.”
Are you working on anything else?
“No not really. I’m just heavily focused on the Heavy Petters in every way shape and form. You know, trying to get the singles on the radio, we already have the Choclair one “In My Life” getting good rotation on Flow 93.5FM.”
What can people expect from you at your shows?
“People that have already heard me play can expect more of the same style, new music of course, as well as some unexpected stuff that I throw into my sets. I’ll throw in an 80’s tune here, or a Hip-Hop tune there, some scratching and stuff. For people who have never heard me play, or maybe have never heard any Drum and Bass, they can expect some Drum and Bass but not the inaccessible kind. More D’n’B they can get into no matter what walk of like they come from.”
I have to ask, how do you feel about the death (it seems like) of vinyl?
“Yah, they’re spinning CDs a lot or using laptops. I’m not opposed to it. I think I’m one of few DJ’s who still uses strictly vinyl. I’ve never played a CD out in my life. The reason I strictly use vinyl is not because I’m a purist, it’s because that is what I feel comfortable with. It probably has to do with the fact that I like to scratch and I don’t feel comfortable doing that with CDs. I like looking at the needle on the record and being able to see where the gap is instead of looking at the waveform, for me its mostly stubbornness. I’m always travelling, I don’t always want to be plugging and unplugging stuff when I get to the club, I know I can counts on the fact that there’s always going to be turntables there and I never have to worry about it.”
Visit myspace.com/freakyflow to hear the Heavy Petters album “Smell the Glove” or to see where the Scartchmaster is spinning next.
You can also read DJ George Williams review of Heavy Petters – “Smell the Glove”.
If you subscribe to bpm:tv catch “electronica” weeknights @ 8PM and maybe you’ll catch Miss Raquel’s review of Heavy Petters – “Smell the Glove”. |
