Curious about the origins of the hip hop phenomenon 'Screwed and chopped?'
Read a tribute to DJ Screw over at Houston So Real or download the Damage Control radio tribute to him.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Mixdown class with Mr Distance
DJ Distance has been very helpful recently helping me learn about the complex black art of mixdowns. And as we all know, its all about sharing the knowledge. So sit down, open your books and hush - mixdown class for beginners is in session.
Distance says: I'm running Cubase VST 5/32 and using Fostex PM1 Monitors, but most of the below will apply to any software-setup.
1. Get yourself a pair of decent monitors. Tannoy Reveals, Alessis MkII, or Fostex PM1's ( if you have a tight budget). If not then take a look at Dynaudio or Genelec.
I recommend getting monitors a soon as you know you want to take producing seriously, it's very hard to adapt after using Stereo speakers for a long time.
2. Mixdown at a low volume: I used to have it pumpin but this didn't do me any favours.
3. Eq-ing is the key! Give every element its own space.
4. Read up on frequencies, this makes a very big difference & obviously goes hand in hand with EQing.
5. Compress your drums and subbass only if you need to.
6. Before using compressors get some info on them, make sure your actually effecting the sound and not just raising the volume.
Check out the Sound on Sound tutorial.
7. It does make a difference in what order you apply your compression, EQ, delay etc. I usually compress first then EQ.
8. Try getting your head around grouping & bussing.
9. Panning certain sounds can open up the whole mix.
10. Listen to your finished mix in as many different places at you can, it might sound good on £300 pound monitors but if it sound heavy on 5 watt stereo system then you know it aint a bad mix.
Check this good book for all round mixing advice.
know your studio shit? got any more tips about mixdowns? add them in the comments sections...
Distance says: I'm running Cubase VST 5/32 and using Fostex PM1 Monitors, but most of the below will apply to any software-setup.
1. Get yourself a pair of decent monitors. Tannoy Reveals, Alessis MkII, or Fostex PM1's ( if you have a tight budget). If not then take a look at Dynaudio or Genelec.
I recommend getting monitors a soon as you know you want to take producing seriously, it's very hard to adapt after using Stereo speakers for a long time.
2. Mixdown at a low volume: I used to have it pumpin but this didn't do me any favours.
3. Eq-ing is the key! Give every element its own space.
4. Read up on frequencies, this makes a very big difference & obviously goes hand in hand with EQing.
5. Compress your drums and subbass only if you need to.
6. Before using compressors get some info on them, make sure your actually effecting the sound and not just raising the volume.
Check out the Sound on Sound tutorial.
7. It does make a difference in what order you apply your compression, EQ, delay etc. I usually compress first then EQ.
8. Try getting your head around grouping & bussing.
9. Panning certain sounds can open up the whole mix.
10. Listen to your finished mix in as many different places at you can, it might sound good on £300 pound monitors but if it sound heavy on 5 watt stereo system then you know it aint a bad mix.
Check this good book for all round mixing advice.
know your studio shit? got any more tips about mixdowns? add them in the comments sections...
Saturday, November 19, 2005
doubleK(ick)
Kid Kameleon drops an epic post about the recent Plasticman, Vex'd, Al Haca and Joe Nice gigs. He goes deep into his take on the scenes v outsiders issue, continuing the dialog we began during an amazing weekend spent in San Fran this summer. He even draws for wave/particle duality. Is deferring to quantum mechanics actually an answer? Just joshing Matt.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Pitchfork time again
Pitchfork time again with thoughts about the next steps for dubstep and an exlusive interview with Rinse FM management.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Big up Benny
Whoah, out of the blue comes an email from Benny Ill aka the mastermind behind Horsepower Production and responsible for a very large part of dubstep as we know it.
Why is that remarkable? Well one, for the four years I've known Ben he's never had a mobile let alone internet access. And two he's escaped Purley to live in NYC.
Seems like he's linked old dubstep friend Dinesh (aka Goldspot - who remembers the lush Vehicle records release? The first ever US dubstep 12") and become a studio engineer.
Now seeing as most of the amazing Horsepower back catalog was made on an antiquated set up - proof it's ears & skill not plug-ins and money you need - I can't imagine what Ben could sound like with some serious kit at his disposal.
I hope Ben doesn't mind me quoting his email. NYC, if you want to get some of the best ears in the business on your production side, read on...
"I am living here in Manhattan now and working as a studio engineer / producer. Why not check out my new studio in NYC, Pictures are on our site: www.sweetsoundsnyc.com If you know anyone who might be looking for studio time out here please get in contact special rates are available for dubsteppers! Our equipment is top of the line Protools 24 bit / fully air conditioned / full lounge w/ cable tv/
refreshments / roof garden available. You can contact me at ben@sweetsoundsnyc.com
respect
Benny ill aka Kid Deli aka Broke Legendz aka aka aka..."
BENNY ILL UPDATE:
"We just updated the studio here and we are now running Pro tools HD 3 (sick!) 192 hz 132 channels. We also got a lot of mad plug-ins for that shit, so expect to here some dope shit coming your way soon!
Anyone that might be interested about the studio, we are able to do remixes / production / mixdowns / editing / post-production and all that shit, so u.k. peeps can even send their shit out here, to be worked on and get that fat sound on their tracks !!! If you send me your tracks, ( seperate audio parts ) we can do a hot mixdown for your shit, make it sound dope, for the folks back home.
Respect
Benny ill"
Why is that remarkable? Well one, for the four years I've known Ben he's never had a mobile let alone internet access. And two he's escaped Purley to live in NYC.
Seems like he's linked old dubstep friend Dinesh (aka Goldspot - who remembers the lush Vehicle records release? The first ever US dubstep 12") and become a studio engineer.
Now seeing as most of the amazing Horsepower back catalog was made on an antiquated set up - proof it's ears & skill not plug-ins and money you need - I can't imagine what Ben could sound like with some serious kit at his disposal.
I hope Ben doesn't mind me quoting his email. NYC, if you want to get some of the best ears in the business on your production side, read on...
"I am living here in Manhattan now and working as a studio engineer / producer. Why not check out my new studio in NYC, Pictures are on our site: www.sweetsoundsnyc.com If you know anyone who might be looking for studio time out here please get in contact special rates are available for dubsteppers! Our equipment is top of the line Protools 24 bit / fully air conditioned / full lounge w/ cable tv/
refreshments / roof garden available. You can contact me at ben@sweetsoundsnyc.com
respect
Benny ill aka Kid Deli aka Broke Legendz aka aka aka..."
BENNY ILL UPDATE:
"We just updated the studio here and we are now running Pro tools HD 3 (sick!) 192 hz 132 channels. We also got a lot of mad plug-ins for that shit, so expect to here some dope shit coming your way soon!
Anyone that might be interested about the studio, we are able to do remixes / production / mixdowns / editing / post-production and all that shit, so u.k. peeps can even send their shit out here, to be worked on and get that fat sound on their tracks !!! If you send me your tracks, ( seperate audio parts ) we can do a hot mixdown for your shit, make it sound dope, for the folks back home.
Respect
Benny ill"
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
lockdown
KANO LONDON GIG – CANCELLED
Following tip offs London’s Scala has had to comply with the request of the Metropolitan Police to shut down the venue on Thursday 27th October and therefore cancel Kano’s sold out show.
METROPOLIS MUSIC STATEMENT
We have been instructed by the police that we cannot go ahead with the Kano concert at the Scala on Thursday 27th October.
The police have acquired intelligence that unsavoury characters intended to cause trouble at the concert. This intelligence was received from Operation Trident.
The police have stated that this is no reflection on Kano and have had no problems at previous events that he has performed at in London
There are no plans to reschedule the show at this time and customers are advised to obtain a refund at point of purchase.
Metropolis Music
Statement from Kano:
“I have performed in London practically my whole career and there have never been any problems. It’s where I started out and for me there’s no better place to perform. It’s a shame that on my first ever UK tour I am unable to play to my home town. I am sorry for my fans that the show couldn’t happen this time round. I’ll be back.”
I've written about this before, with most profile in the NME, but it's the case that ever since the shooting outside the Romeo Birthday Bash at Astoria in 2001 there's been a rumour that the Metropolitan Police have a garage blacklist, used to pre-emptively shut down garage events in Westminster, depriving grime MCs of a vital revenue stream.
In fact this is probably a factor why proto-grime was forced out of clubs and onto radio, and why - freed from the dancefloor - it was able to evolve so experimentally.
But pre-emptive club closing in an entire borough? Surely that's descrimination not just against a major-backed MOBO winner but a whole social group.
Following tip offs London’s Scala has had to comply with the request of the Metropolitan Police to shut down the venue on Thursday 27th October and therefore cancel Kano’s sold out show.
METROPOLIS MUSIC STATEMENT
We have been instructed by the police that we cannot go ahead with the Kano concert at the Scala on Thursday 27th October.
The police have acquired intelligence that unsavoury characters intended to cause trouble at the concert. This intelligence was received from Operation Trident.
The police have stated that this is no reflection on Kano and have had no problems at previous events that he has performed at in London
There are no plans to reschedule the show at this time and customers are advised to obtain a refund at point of purchase.
Metropolis Music
Statement from Kano:
“I have performed in London practically my whole career and there have never been any problems. It’s where I started out and for me there’s no better place to perform. It’s a shame that on my first ever UK tour I am unable to play to my home town. I am sorry for my fans that the show couldn’t happen this time round. I’ll be back.”
I've written about this before, with most profile in the NME, but it's the case that ever since the shooting outside the Romeo Birthday Bash at Astoria in 2001 there's been a rumour that the Metropolitan Police have a garage blacklist, used to pre-emptively shut down garage events in Westminster, depriving grime MCs of a vital revenue stream.
In fact this is probably a factor why proto-grime was forced out of clubs and onto radio, and why - freed from the dancefloor - it was able to evolve so experimentally.
But pre-emptive club closing in an entire borough? Surely that's descrimination not just against a major-backed MOBO winner but a whole social group.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
word is born
There's something odd in the garage air, i can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it's just personal over-saturation, but it feels like we might be in a mini lull.
i'm not the only one who feels this. quite independently, i've heard the same from three other of the dubstep headz. but, to use a maths analogy, if you're at the bottom of the curve, the rate of change is the greatest.
grime's not sitting 100% right - but that a whole nother post. dubstep, after a massive renaissance this year, feels like it's paused for a second, though i'm tipping Oris Jay's 'Mighty Wan' as a potential breakthrough record.
Perhaps this lull is no bad thing. Man can not live on Youngsta and Roll Deep Rinse sets alone, - believe me I've tried.
speaking from strictly personal experience, enthusiasm can never nor should never be faked. to this end i've been trying to actively expand my daily music consumption boundaries.
a lot of the usual dance suspects - d&b, broken beat, breaks, techno, house etc - leave me cold. or cross. or feeling like i'm going backwards.
I've been checking Silverstar and Robbo Ranks' shows on 1Xtra to up my dancehall knowledge, though only Sizzla and Vibes Cartel consistently do it for me. if anyone else knows any incredible dancehall shows, lemme know.
i've also made an effort to learn about bhangra, a genre with vast history i know virtually nothing about.
Lata Mangeshkar and Pannal al Ghosh are two classical asian artists I've been checking recently. And I've long since loved the Asian influence in dubstep. Skream's Indian remix. Horsepower's 'Sholay'. Kode 9's 'Fukkaz/Subkon'. All stone cold classics. So bhangra made sense.
To find out about a scene you know nothing about - when your asian mates don’t answer their persys - you need an entry point. The BBC Asian Network provided that for me, particularly the hilariously entitled Markie Mark.
Within a few weeks he recommended 'Word is Born' by Specialist 'n' Tru-Skool as a classic LP, even though it was only one year old.
Contained inside this £8 CD (stuff your £9 1-sided grime 12"s, now that's value!), are some hooks so deadly i nearly crashed the car on the way to Forward>> this week - and that was 30 feet from my house.
The last CD that did that to me was the first Logan Sama free mix CD last year. How i took that right-angle corner on a dark country road at 70 mph and keep the right side of a tree i don't know.
'Word is Born' slams in with some heavy riddims, laden with the energy and hype so missing from garage sometimes. 'Sanehvaal Chounk' should be a number one record.
'Nashia Tho Dhoor' takes the same riff as the recent Nas hit 'Get Down' and freestyles in some mad asian dialect over it. It's infectious in any language.
Littered throughout the album are patches of melodic genius intermingled with, to these ears at least, glorious dissonance, just like Kano and Wonder's 'Lately' but more severely bi-polar.
But the album's backbone is built from hip hop and bhangra, asian and afro-american vibes. How sad then, in the very week i discover this CD, where the cultures blend so seemlessly, things should turn so ugly in the real world between the british black and asian communities.
i'm not the only one who feels this. quite independently, i've heard the same from three other of the dubstep headz. but, to use a maths analogy, if you're at the bottom of the curve, the rate of change is the greatest.
grime's not sitting 100% right - but that a whole nother post. dubstep, after a massive renaissance this year, feels like it's paused for a second, though i'm tipping Oris Jay's 'Mighty Wan' as a potential breakthrough record.
Perhaps this lull is no bad thing. Man can not live on Youngsta and Roll Deep Rinse sets alone, - believe me I've tried.
speaking from strictly personal experience, enthusiasm can never nor should never be faked. to this end i've been trying to actively expand my daily music consumption boundaries.
a lot of the usual dance suspects - d&b, broken beat, breaks, techno, house etc - leave me cold. or cross. or feeling like i'm going backwards.
I've been checking Silverstar and Robbo Ranks' shows on 1Xtra to up my dancehall knowledge, though only Sizzla and Vibes Cartel consistently do it for me. if anyone else knows any incredible dancehall shows, lemme know.
i've also made an effort to learn about bhangra, a genre with vast history i know virtually nothing about.
Lata Mangeshkar and Pannal al Ghosh are two classical asian artists I've been checking recently. And I've long since loved the Asian influence in dubstep. Skream's Indian remix. Horsepower's 'Sholay'. Kode 9's 'Fukkaz/Subkon'. All stone cold classics. So bhangra made sense.
To find out about a scene you know nothing about - when your asian mates don’t answer their persys - you need an entry point. The BBC Asian Network provided that for me, particularly the hilariously entitled Markie Mark.
Within a few weeks he recommended 'Word is Born' by Specialist 'n' Tru-Skool as a classic LP, even though it was only one year old.
Contained inside this £8 CD (stuff your £9 1-sided grime 12"s, now that's value!), are some hooks so deadly i nearly crashed the car on the way to Forward>> this week - and that was 30 feet from my house.
The last CD that did that to me was the first Logan Sama free mix CD last year. How i took that right-angle corner on a dark country road at 70 mph and keep the right side of a tree i don't know.
'Word is Born' slams in with some heavy riddims, laden with the energy and hype so missing from garage sometimes. 'Sanehvaal Chounk' should be a number one record.
'Nashia Tho Dhoor' takes the same riff as the recent Nas hit 'Get Down' and freestyles in some mad asian dialect over it. It's infectious in any language.
Littered throughout the album are patches of melodic genius intermingled with, to these ears at least, glorious dissonance, just like Kano and Wonder's 'Lately' but more severely bi-polar.
But the album's backbone is built from hip hop and bhangra, asian and afro-american vibes. How sad then, in the very week i discover this CD, where the cultures blend so seemlessly, things should turn so ugly in the real world between the british black and asian communities.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
BAM007?
random voicemail on me persy this week. "bonjour Mr Clark..." It could only be from the infamous Skream then. the message reports that finally, and out of the blue, Big Apple 007, Skream's lost 12" has been pressed and is available in Mixing Records (Big Apple Records the shop, as was). No sign of it on the website so we'll have to take Skream's word for it. Not his best 12" but one of his most sought after (hold tight Deep Thought. your time).
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Friday, September 23, 2005
Thursday, September 22, 2005
inside LDN
“… passively coexisting ethnic and religious communities”
Interesting to see The Commission for Racial Equality’s head Trevor Phillips speaking out against the threat of ghettos. Is it me, or is Phillips the only person in the UK capable of making such warning with such impact? Because when Wiley says the same on pirate radio, no one with the power to affect change listens.
London’s a frustrating and mesmerising city, perhaps the only truly multicultural city in the UK. Thousands of different subcultures co-exist, piled on top, around, through, over and in-between each other. For many years architects and town planners have attempted to mix not segregate, hence why there are council estates just off wealthy areas like Upper Street or the heart of Dulwich.
Yet despite the geographical proximity and intense population density (over 7 million people in 50 square miles), in many ways total cultural isolation is a reality. It’s an endlessly confounding phenomenon. How can one group walk past another incalculable numbers of times a year, and gather no sense of the other’s values?
Canary Wharf and the City are east London’s wealthy business districts, two of the financial centres of the world and places where on a daily basis, sums of money are created, destroyed, flow in and flow out in mind numbing proportions. Commuters in their droves match that flow, washing in from Kent, Surrey, west London, north London, Hertfordshire and beyond.
Canary Wharf, one of only two real ‘sky scraper’ style developments in London, towers over some of the poorest parts of London. You can see it on the cover of Target’s Aim High 2 DVD, just minutes from Roll Deep’s ‘Whilehouse’ base. You can see it from Langden Park school playing fields in Bow, where as a pupil, Dizzee Rascal learnt Cubase while excluded from most other lessons. But just because Canary Wharf is visible from Bow, doesn’t mean Bow is visible from Canary Wharf.
If you asked any of the commuters coming in on those trains each morning about urban culture, you’d get blank looks. Physical proximity means nothing. Values, aspirations, opportunities, slang – there’s no exchange between these two groups. Two groups who essentially live on top of each other, yet are utterly oblivious to each other. Communities - upbringing and background based not location based - are in fact vast webs of reinforcing values, each physically overlaid on each other, yet seemingly seldom touching.
Lots of people grew up to, and still listen to, indie. If you go to those gigs, ignoring the obvious issues with musical formulism and tediously safe rituals, even in this city they are tediously monocultural. A thin slice of people of the same class and race, each reinforcing their overwhelming similarities.
Personally I think this is why I love urban music so much. Through it, a dialog between different cultures is at least possible, because it provides a shared language to bridge the divide. It creates some dialog and awareness, no matter how small.
No one 'on road' uses the word ‘politics’ in the Westminster sense. In grime if you want to hear ‘the news,’ you listen to Roll Deep on Rinse, surely grime’s Today Program. Trevor Phillips hasn’t made it to Rinse yet, instead he was on the other Today Program again this morning. His best point seemed to be that people need to focus on similarities not differences. I’d agree, though in this city, people need to focus on understanding those who are different to them a bit more than those who are similar too.
Interesting to see The Commission for Racial Equality’s head Trevor Phillips speaking out against the threat of ghettos. Is it me, or is Phillips the only person in the UK capable of making such warning with such impact? Because when Wiley says the same on pirate radio, no one with the power to affect change listens.
London’s a frustrating and mesmerising city, perhaps the only truly multicultural city in the UK. Thousands of different subcultures co-exist, piled on top, around, through, over and in-between each other. For many years architects and town planners have attempted to mix not segregate, hence why there are council estates just off wealthy areas like Upper Street or the heart of Dulwich.
Yet despite the geographical proximity and intense population density (over 7 million people in 50 square miles), in many ways total cultural isolation is a reality. It’s an endlessly confounding phenomenon. How can one group walk past another incalculable numbers of times a year, and gather no sense of the other’s values?
Canary Wharf and the City are east London’s wealthy business districts, two of the financial centres of the world and places where on a daily basis, sums of money are created, destroyed, flow in and flow out in mind numbing proportions. Commuters in their droves match that flow, washing in from Kent, Surrey, west London, north London, Hertfordshire and beyond.
Canary Wharf, one of only two real ‘sky scraper’ style developments in London, towers over some of the poorest parts of London. You can see it on the cover of Target’s Aim High 2 DVD, just minutes from Roll Deep’s ‘Whilehouse’ base. You can see it from Langden Park school playing fields in Bow, where as a pupil, Dizzee Rascal learnt Cubase while excluded from most other lessons. But just because Canary Wharf is visible from Bow, doesn’t mean Bow is visible from Canary Wharf.
If you asked any of the commuters coming in on those trains each morning about urban culture, you’d get blank looks. Physical proximity means nothing. Values, aspirations, opportunities, slang – there’s no exchange between these two groups. Two groups who essentially live on top of each other, yet are utterly oblivious to each other. Communities - upbringing and background based not location based - are in fact vast webs of reinforcing values, each physically overlaid on each other, yet seemingly seldom touching.
Lots of people grew up to, and still listen to, indie. If you go to those gigs, ignoring the obvious issues with musical formulism and tediously safe rituals, even in this city they are tediously monocultural. A thin slice of people of the same class and race, each reinforcing their overwhelming similarities.
Personally I think this is why I love urban music so much. Through it, a dialog between different cultures is at least possible, because it provides a shared language to bridge the divide. It creates some dialog and awareness, no matter how small.
No one 'on road' uses the word ‘politics’ in the Westminster sense. In grime if you want to hear ‘the news,’ you listen to Roll Deep on Rinse, surely grime’s Today Program. Trevor Phillips hasn’t made it to Rinse yet, instead he was on the other Today Program again this morning. His best point seemed to be that people need to focus on similarities not differences. I’d agree, though in this city, people need to focus on understanding those who are different to them a bit more than those who are similar too.
Two great mixes online. dont sleep.
Hatcha with loads of new dubs.
And Joe Nice dropping some amazing riddims. L Wiz is on fire (twice). feeling that tune by 23HZ & Numaestro called Galleon Dub. Respect for playing 'Triplet Tablas' too.
Hatcha with loads of new dubs.
And Joe Nice dropping some amazing riddims. L Wiz is on fire (twice). feeling that tune by 23HZ & Numaestro called Galleon Dub. Respect for playing 'Triplet Tablas' too.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Sunday, September 04, 2005
DMZheeheehee pt 2
got that post-dmz glow again.
warm. tired. fuzzy. happy. emotive. lush.
all about joe nice rocking the Rocky towel and deep L Wiz dubs. shame he didnt play phil collin's 'in the air tonight' like he threatened to.
all about mala's 'new life' and 'anti war dub.'
bigup Coki 'doesnt dj' DMZ for taking to the decks.
can't forget Skreams Ancient Memories remix. ave' some of that!
warm. tired. fuzzy. happy. emotive. lush.
all about joe nice rocking the Rocky towel and deep L Wiz dubs. shame he didnt play phil collin's 'in the air tonight' like he threatened to.
all about mala's 'new life' and 'anti war dub.'
bigup Coki 'doesnt dj' DMZ for taking to the decks.
can't forget Skreams Ancient Memories remix. ave' some of that!
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Skream
Croydon's Skream has has a massive impact on dubstep since he first appeared in Hatcha sets three or four years ago. But with his "Midnight Request Line" (Tempa) currently being rewound by Roll Deep on their Rinse show the hype around his music has never been bigger. So this is Skream, in his own words and sounds...
THE MIX
all tracks original Skream productions unless stated
Tortured Soul
Sound-trak
Bullseye
Sunship "Almighty Father (Skream remix)"
Hag
Fairytale
Groovin
Midknight Requestline
Herb
Smiling Face
Lightning Dub (Elektronica)
Digital Mystikz "Ancient Memories (Skream remix)"
Loefah "Indian Dub (Skream remix)"
Basstrap
Where Am I?
Glamma
Rutten
Deeper Feelings
Untitled (a little taster)
THE INTERVIEW
Blackdown: to start at the beginning, when did you begin making music?
Skream: At about 15, I started with Benga. I met him through his brother. I was working in a record shop, at Big Apple, and he said his brother was making beats, I said I was making beats. We used to ring each other up and play beats down the phone – we didn’t even know each other. I met Hatcha through my brother, because my brother was working in Apple on the jungle floor and Hatcha was working downstairs. He started playing all the El-B and Horsepower stuff, and that’s what got me into it all. That was around 2000. I’ve been making tracks since Forward>> was at Velvet Rooms.
I used to work at Apple on the weekends. At school I was like ‘yeah I want to work in a record shop’ but when you get there it’s just boring man. Standing there all day or taking the post out. All these kids go down shops asking for a job, and I’m like ‘you don’t know shit!’ Plus it used to be lively but record shops are dead now.
B: Can you explain to people how important Big Apple records was to Croydon? Because without it, there may not have been dubstep.
S: Yeah because Jon from Big Apple was pushing the sound so people picked up on that dark vibe early - from people like El-B. He wanted to sign the El-B “album” – that legendary album. That shop was important, the centre point where everybody used to go. Benny Ill (Horsepower) was there, El-B , Artwork/Menta worked upstairs…
B: Do you mean the “lost” El-B album he never released?
Yeah. Fucking hell, I never got a copy of it. It was sick: the El-B and Juiceman track Buck & Bury, that’s an all time favourite and the original never came out.
S: If you look back, you and Benga, through Hatcha sets, built the link between the dark 2step days and the modern dubstep sound. Do you agree?
It was the time when it all went a bit quiet, around the time of Musical Mob’s [proto-grime] ‘Pulse X’ people weren’t buying so much garage. But we developed a style, with the 404 basslines. I dunno it was just what we were feeling. We wanted to do darker, but our own sort of darker – round the El-B style but it never ended up sounding like them . It ended up something with a twist. I look back to those days. I’ve got a pukka tape of Hatcha at Forward [at the Velvet Rooms].
B: Your early minimal, modern, techy style – how did it come about?
S: That was just us. We just loved those b-lines. We just wanted to get darker and darker, and make movie-sounding shit, deep sounding. It was different at the time.
B: It was, because those 2002-3 Hatcha sets were just another level.
S: Hatcha had a lot to do with the sound. He used to suggest trying things. I did tracks with him too.
B: How did it come about that he had you and Benga 100% exclusive?
S: Those were the early years, when the Big Apple label was starting. It got right political, because I couldn’t give a CD out to anyone else … and it was around then it started going quiet.
B: Looking back though, it was crazy that at one point Hatcha had you, Benga, Skream, Digital Mystikz and Loefah on exclusive. That’s a lot of control.
S: He broke us all really, so it was fair. He just wanted to be on top. He used to be the only one with loads of dubplates – it was looked upon as kind of ridiculous.
B: If you look at that clipped, dark minimal style of you and Benga around 2002-2003 and compare it to now, there’s so much more colour in dubstep...
S: Yeah I want to get onto the musical stuff, because you can only go so far with just beats and bass. I’ve been getting more melodic. You can work easier ... I’m on the computer all day long, I can’t leave it.
My computer wouldn’t turn on, something went wrong for a couple of days and I was pacing the house: I couldn’t sit down. Three days: it was horrible. Torture.
B: Do you feel like you’re addicted?
S: Yeah, I am. I can’t leave it. I’d eat my dinner there… it was like my home. Work and just roll into my bed. But then I’ve got so much material indoors.
B: When I interviewed you for Deuce three years ago, you said you had hundreds of tracks. And that was three years ago...
S: On that old drive I had 600 files. On my new one I’ve got 800. it gets ridiculous, I can’t remember them all.
B: So why don’t you use email?
S: I don’t want internet on there. That’s how I nearly lost all the old stuff I’d made. It had 11,000 viruses. I always used to fall into the trap of opening them emails up, then my hard drive started fucking up, the computer wouldn’t turn on and then I was in bits. It was like someone was in hospital, I kept ringing up the computer engineer fixing it going ‘how’s it going?’
B: Is Big Apple records the label coming back?
S: There’s rumours, but no, it isn’t. I’d love it to though.
B: Did your Skunkstep EP ever come out on Big Apple?
S: There was TPs, ten TPs. Did you get one?
B: Yeah ...but they’re not your best tracks.
S: Someone offered me £70 for one.
B: So what is the best Skream track that never came out?
S: “Cape Fear remix.” I dunno, I just loved it. it used to go off. Kode 9 loved it. I remember it going off [ upstairs at the True Playaz night] at Fabric. Juiceman and Sarah Ammunition were like “that’s heavy.” I must have been 16 or 17.
B: How old were you when you started making music?
S: 15. My last year at school, or was it year 10? Because I remember first listening to Wiley when they were blowing up with Pay As U Go. It started getting more MC-orientated and I went off it. but I don’t mind doing the grime-ier stuff now because people are feeling that style.
B: It’s strange because when we first spoke for Deuce in about 2002/3, in terms of innovation and sound dubstep was miles ahead, and grime was behind. But out of that early grime came the most incredible music. Has the progress of grime had much of an influence on you?
S: Yeah that’s why I started to get more melodic. You can kinda get away with more stuff. Dubstep is going to be looked as an offshoot of grime now, for people who want instrumental stuff.
B: Yeah except that dubstep pre-dates grime by a couple of years, at least. The first dark garage tune I ever heard was Groove Chronicle’s Masterplan or 1999, and there was no grime then. Was there a point where you began to enjoy grime more then?
S: Terror Danjah’s stuff. Geeneus’ What remix. Jammer’s good. I’ve got a couple of grime releases coming out, on Southside as Mr Keys. Then there’s “Midnight Request Line” on Tempa.
B: Is that your biggest tune to date?
S: Definitely. I started it as a grime tune. I didn’t get that tune at first. There’s a formula to it. I’ve been trying to study it. But I can’t get it.
B: Do you wanna know my 1pence worth? It’s big because it’s got chords and a key change in it. And key changes move people.
S: It’s hypnotic. It’s minor. I learnt all my chords and scales when me and Plasticman went to music college . I still use Fruity, FL5, with loads of VSTs and synths.
B: I guess the time you started making beats was the first time you didn’t have to pay £2000 to start to make studio music. You could download Fruity Loops for free – technology was in the hands of the people.
S: It sounded a bit cheap at the beginning but it sounded different, that’s why we got away with it.
B: Lots of people think because you’ve got your tunes played out you’re rich and famous, but it’s not like that. Do you struggle between money and music?
S: I’ve got my mum and dad on my back. I’ve been making music for four years but they say ‘where’s it going?’ Fair enough you do magazine photoshoots but where’s the money? I say I’ve got this and that coming out, but it’s not enough to live on. It’s a struggle. I’ve hardly earned anything in the years I’ve been doing it.
B: Which is frustrating considering how many tunes you’ve made and how much you’ve changed the sound.
S: I would have loved to get on them Rephlex compilations. They brought more people into the scene, which is good because it is technical music, you can listen to it.
B: It’s funny because a lot of the Rephlex audience hate the word garage but like dubstep, but we’ve seen the sound come out of garage.
S: It was an outcast for a bit. “Garage” - you can’t say that word wherever you go.
B: So where did you go to school?
S: West Wickham, near Bromley. Not that far from Croydon. It was a catholic school. One of the teachers robbed all the money – she was in The Sun . We had no heating in the winter, substitute teachers – it was fucked man. I got suspended about eleven times. Anything that would happen, if they didn’t find someone, it would be on me. First time I got suspended it was for not picking up rubbish in the rain. That’s ridiculous, you’re not going to do it are ya? Because it was the headmistress she wanted to abuse her rights.
S: Me and my mate Tel got chased once, when bunking, because they thought we were burglars. They had the police helicopters out – we were terrified. They chased us for hours. They became the laughing stock of the police force, because we were just bunking. But I finished school, I didn’t want to get chucked out, because it looks bad on paper. I have no idea what I would be doing if I didn’t do music. I just want it to become a job. It’s not like work for me.
B: Croydon is part of greater south London but it has it’s own vibe...
S: It’s looked on as really bad now. It never used to be. It’s cast as a bad place. When we go out to Rochester or places like that, if they see “Croydon” on your ID you can’t come in. Or Brighton – you have to go into clubs in ones or twos. Then they start clocking and say “nah there’s too many people from Croydon.” I swear.
B: Do you remember being in Black Sheep Bar in Croydon at Digital Mystikz’ “Dubsessions” night when there was nobody there? Do you remember Mala DMZ playing “Forgive?”
S: I love that tune.
B: Did that kind of big, melodic DMZ sound influence you?
S: Big time. It gave me a kick up the arse, that’s what it did. I was slacking, badly. Last summer I was slacking. But since then I’ve been doing stuff I’ve been happy with again. The Mystikz have brought the whole music side in, it’s more than just bass and beats. It’s heavy. Loefah, Coki and Mala – they all have their own styles.
B: What do you make of halfstep v traditional dubstep beats?
S: I try and do halfstep with energy. It’s still dance music. A night of all that half stuff does get a bit much. A bit dead. But that’s what I like about dubstep. You can do something really abstract and get away with it. You could even do a big vocal dubstep tune and get it in the charts. Except then you’d get people jumping on it – for now people are only in it for the music.
B: What was it like for you going to the early Forward>> at Velvet Room days?
S: Mad. Mental. Hearing my tune getting played in a club and people liking it: it was the maddest buzz in the world. It was a lot older back then. Bit more of a Champagne garage crowd too, but it was good.
B: Is the rumour about the Croydon limo true? That you lot all used to go to Forward>> in a limo?
S: Yeah. Everyone used to get mashed and go up in a limo. It weren’t looked at as weird.
B: So albums, what’s the plan?
S: I don’t wanna rush it. I could have had thirty albums by now but I want it to be good. But I’m trying to make eleven tracks I’ve really put a lot into. But I don’t have an album deal. I’d also like to start a label too though.
B: Is there a difference between Ollie and Skream?
S: There used to be. Skream used to be the chilled out one, I didn’t use to say anything, back when I smoked lots. I used to smoke lots when I was younger 14-16. It’s horrible though, you just waste years. It’s like ‘what have I don’t this year? Smoke.’
B: So can you name the best mashup times by Skream?
S: Ah haha. There’s a top 10! Were you there when I was sick in a speaker at Forward>>? That was humiliating.
B: You being arrested at Plastic Man’s Filthy Dub must be in the top 10…
S: Nah but that wasn’t my fault. I swear to god. My mate gave me a tenner in the toilets for a pint. The bouncers have gone ‘come here. Go upstairs!’ They pushed me out the door going ‘you’re a dealer mate.’ They didn’t find anything obviously but they still wouldn’t let me back in. Someone twisted my arm, I said ‘get off’ and it was a policeman. He threw me up against a window. I told him to ‘fuck off’ so he threw me on the floor. All people like Mark One are like ‘you alright, what’s happened?’ and I’m like ‘what does it look like’s happened? I’m being arrested.’ It was humiliating. It had looked like I’d done something really bad.
B: Shame because Filthy Dub was good...
S: Did you come to the first one when me and Chef played? Do you remember how busy it was? That was a proper one-off one. You wont ever get that again in Croydon. Dubstep don’t appeal to promoters here, all they think about is money. It’s all commercial music in there.
B: Do you feel like Forward>> is a family? Like you’ve grown up through it?
S: Yeah. I’ve met a lot of people through it, trust a lot of people too. It’s good, everyone gets on and when you go out there’s loads of you having a good time.
B: Have you got a big family?
S: Nah I’ve got one brother, he plays house. He’s Hijack: he used to be in [legendary south London raving crew] Internatty with Bailey, Grooverider and all that. That’s how I met Loefah, he came up to me and said ‘was your brother was in Internatty?’ My brother was on Energy FM and Kiss before Kiss was big, doing jungle sets. I’ve got a wall of ’89 to ’96 dubplates that have never been played, just clean and that.
B: Were you into jungle at the time?
S: Nah it’s when I got older. I love dark music, not just bass but deep stuff. I think it’s because I make beats I appreciate how well they’re made. When I listen to Photek now I freak. But I only started listening to all my brothers jungle later, though I don’t majorly listen to it.
B: Most of the darkness in garage can be traced back to El-B having been to Metalheadz and going ‘I’m gonna make garage, but dark’ with Groove Chronicles and the Ghost.
S: I was always on the El-B stuff from day. They were different, music with style. They were classy tracks, man.
B: Did Benga do the Hatcha VIP dub?
S: The one that’s just beats and bass? Yeah that’s Benga, a tune called “Star Wars.”
B: What’s Benga doing these days?
S: He’s doing production work with Artwork and working with some of the grime boys. He’s done two tracks with Crazy Titch, one of them I reckon could be quite big. And he’s done about four new dubstep tunes.
He’s cool though is Benga, hilarious. He laughs like a bird. And he’s got a slick afro. You see him walking through Croydon with a hairdryer – he’s had to go borrow one cos his hairdryer’s broken. It’s nutty. It was blazing heat the other day but he had to put his hood up because he was embarrassed of his hair. He was so hot. He looked like he was wearing a scuba diving outfit.
THE MIX
all tracks original Skream productions unless stated
Tortured Soul
Sound-trak
Bullseye
Sunship "Almighty Father (Skream remix)"
Hag
Fairytale
Groovin
Midknight Requestline
Herb
Smiling Face
Lightning Dub (Elektronica)
Digital Mystikz "Ancient Memories (Skream remix)"
Loefah "Indian Dub (Skream remix)"
Basstrap
Where Am I?
Glamma
Rutten
Deeper Feelings
Untitled (a little taster)
THE INTERVIEW
Blackdown: to start at the beginning, when did you begin making music?
Skream: At about 15, I started with Benga. I met him through his brother. I was working in a record shop, at Big Apple, and he said his brother was making beats, I said I was making beats. We used to ring each other up and play beats down the phone – we didn’t even know each other. I met Hatcha through my brother, because my brother was working in Apple on the jungle floor and Hatcha was working downstairs. He started playing all the El-B and Horsepower stuff, and that’s what got me into it all. That was around 2000. I’ve been making tracks since Forward>> was at Velvet Rooms.
I used to work at Apple on the weekends. At school I was like ‘yeah I want to work in a record shop’ but when you get there it’s just boring man. Standing there all day or taking the post out. All these kids go down shops asking for a job, and I’m like ‘you don’t know shit!’ Plus it used to be lively but record shops are dead now.
B: Can you explain to people how important Big Apple records was to Croydon? Because without it, there may not have been dubstep.
S: Yeah because Jon from Big Apple was pushing the sound so people picked up on that dark vibe early - from people like El-B. He wanted to sign the El-B “album” – that legendary album. That shop was important, the centre point where everybody used to go. Benny Ill (Horsepower) was there, El-B , Artwork/Menta worked upstairs…
B: Do you mean the “lost” El-B album he never released?
Yeah. Fucking hell, I never got a copy of it. It was sick: the El-B and Juiceman track Buck & Bury, that’s an all time favourite and the original never came out.
S: If you look back, you and Benga, through Hatcha sets, built the link between the dark 2step days and the modern dubstep sound. Do you agree?
It was the time when it all went a bit quiet, around the time of Musical Mob’s [proto-grime] ‘Pulse X’ people weren’t buying so much garage. But we developed a style, with the 404 basslines. I dunno it was just what we were feeling. We wanted to do darker, but our own sort of darker – round the El-B style but it never ended up sounding like them . It ended up something with a twist. I look back to those days. I’ve got a pukka tape of Hatcha at Forward [at the Velvet Rooms].
B: Your early minimal, modern, techy style – how did it come about?
S: That was just us. We just loved those b-lines. We just wanted to get darker and darker, and make movie-sounding shit, deep sounding. It was different at the time.
B: It was, because those 2002-3 Hatcha sets were just another level.
S: Hatcha had a lot to do with the sound. He used to suggest trying things. I did tracks with him too.
B: How did it come about that he had you and Benga 100% exclusive?
S: Those were the early years, when the Big Apple label was starting. It got right political, because I couldn’t give a CD out to anyone else … and it was around then it started going quiet.
B: Looking back though, it was crazy that at one point Hatcha had you, Benga, Skream, Digital Mystikz and Loefah on exclusive. That’s a lot of control.
S: He broke us all really, so it was fair. He just wanted to be on top. He used to be the only one with loads of dubplates – it was looked upon as kind of ridiculous.
B: If you look at that clipped, dark minimal style of you and Benga around 2002-2003 and compare it to now, there’s so much more colour in dubstep...
S: Yeah I want to get onto the musical stuff, because you can only go so far with just beats and bass. I’ve been getting more melodic. You can work easier ... I’m on the computer all day long, I can’t leave it.
My computer wouldn’t turn on, something went wrong for a couple of days and I was pacing the house: I couldn’t sit down. Three days: it was horrible. Torture.
B: Do you feel like you’re addicted?
S: Yeah, I am. I can’t leave it. I’d eat my dinner there… it was like my home. Work and just roll into my bed. But then I’ve got so much material indoors.
B: When I interviewed you for Deuce three years ago, you said you had hundreds of tracks. And that was three years ago...
S: On that old drive I had 600 files. On my new one I’ve got 800. it gets ridiculous, I can’t remember them all.
B: So why don’t you use email?
S: I don’t want internet on there. That’s how I nearly lost all the old stuff I’d made. It had 11,000 viruses. I always used to fall into the trap of opening them emails up, then my hard drive started fucking up, the computer wouldn’t turn on and then I was in bits. It was like someone was in hospital, I kept ringing up the computer engineer fixing it going ‘how’s it going?’
B: Is Big Apple records the label coming back?
S: There’s rumours, but no, it isn’t. I’d love it to though.
B: Did your Skunkstep EP ever come out on Big Apple?
S: There was TPs, ten TPs. Did you get one?
B: Yeah ...but they’re not your best tracks.
S: Someone offered me £70 for one.
B: So what is the best Skream track that never came out?
S: “Cape Fear remix.” I dunno, I just loved it. it used to go off. Kode 9 loved it. I remember it going off [ upstairs at the True Playaz night] at Fabric. Juiceman and Sarah Ammunition were like “that’s heavy.” I must have been 16 or 17.
B: How old were you when you started making music?
S: 15. My last year at school, or was it year 10? Because I remember first listening to Wiley when they were blowing up with Pay As U Go. It started getting more MC-orientated and I went off it. but I don’t mind doing the grime-ier stuff now because people are feeling that style.
B: It’s strange because when we first spoke for Deuce in about 2002/3, in terms of innovation and sound dubstep was miles ahead, and grime was behind. But out of that early grime came the most incredible music. Has the progress of grime had much of an influence on you?
S: Yeah that’s why I started to get more melodic. You can kinda get away with more stuff. Dubstep is going to be looked as an offshoot of grime now, for people who want instrumental stuff.
B: Yeah except that dubstep pre-dates grime by a couple of years, at least. The first dark garage tune I ever heard was Groove Chronicle’s Masterplan or 1999, and there was no grime then. Was there a point where you began to enjoy grime more then?
S: Terror Danjah’s stuff. Geeneus’ What remix. Jammer’s good. I’ve got a couple of grime releases coming out, on Southside as Mr Keys. Then there’s “Midnight Request Line” on Tempa.
B: Is that your biggest tune to date?
S: Definitely. I started it as a grime tune. I didn’t get that tune at first. There’s a formula to it. I’ve been trying to study it. But I can’t get it.
B: Do you wanna know my 1pence worth? It’s big because it’s got chords and a key change in it. And key changes move people.
S: It’s hypnotic. It’s minor. I learnt all my chords and scales when me and Plasticman went to music college . I still use Fruity, FL5, with loads of VSTs and synths.
B: I guess the time you started making beats was the first time you didn’t have to pay £2000 to start to make studio music. You could download Fruity Loops for free – technology was in the hands of the people.
S: It sounded a bit cheap at the beginning but it sounded different, that’s why we got away with it.
B: Lots of people think because you’ve got your tunes played out you’re rich and famous, but it’s not like that. Do you struggle between money and music?
S: I’ve got my mum and dad on my back. I’ve been making music for four years but they say ‘where’s it going?’ Fair enough you do magazine photoshoots but where’s the money? I say I’ve got this and that coming out, but it’s not enough to live on. It’s a struggle. I’ve hardly earned anything in the years I’ve been doing it.
B: Which is frustrating considering how many tunes you’ve made and how much you’ve changed the sound.
S: I would have loved to get on them Rephlex compilations. They brought more people into the scene, which is good because it is technical music, you can listen to it.
B: It’s funny because a lot of the Rephlex audience hate the word garage but like dubstep, but we’ve seen the sound come out of garage.
S: It was an outcast for a bit. “Garage” - you can’t say that word wherever you go.
B: So where did you go to school?
S: West Wickham, near Bromley. Not that far from Croydon. It was a catholic school. One of the teachers robbed all the money – she was in The Sun . We had no heating in the winter, substitute teachers – it was fucked man. I got suspended about eleven times. Anything that would happen, if they didn’t find someone, it would be on me. First time I got suspended it was for not picking up rubbish in the rain. That’s ridiculous, you’re not going to do it are ya? Because it was the headmistress she wanted to abuse her rights.
S: Me and my mate Tel got chased once, when bunking, because they thought we were burglars. They had the police helicopters out – we were terrified. They chased us for hours. They became the laughing stock of the police force, because we were just bunking. But I finished school, I didn’t want to get chucked out, because it looks bad on paper. I have no idea what I would be doing if I didn’t do music. I just want it to become a job. It’s not like work for me.
B: Croydon is part of greater south London but it has it’s own vibe...
S: It’s looked on as really bad now. It never used to be. It’s cast as a bad place. When we go out to Rochester or places like that, if they see “Croydon” on your ID you can’t come in. Or Brighton – you have to go into clubs in ones or twos. Then they start clocking and say “nah there’s too many people from Croydon.” I swear.
B: Do you remember being in Black Sheep Bar in Croydon at Digital Mystikz’ “Dubsessions” night when there was nobody there? Do you remember Mala DMZ playing “Forgive?”
S: I love that tune.
B: Did that kind of big, melodic DMZ sound influence you?
S: Big time. It gave me a kick up the arse, that’s what it did. I was slacking, badly. Last summer I was slacking. But since then I’ve been doing stuff I’ve been happy with again. The Mystikz have brought the whole music side in, it’s more than just bass and beats. It’s heavy. Loefah, Coki and Mala – they all have their own styles.
B: What do you make of halfstep v traditional dubstep beats?
S: I try and do halfstep with energy. It’s still dance music. A night of all that half stuff does get a bit much. A bit dead. But that’s what I like about dubstep. You can do something really abstract and get away with it. You could even do a big vocal dubstep tune and get it in the charts. Except then you’d get people jumping on it – for now people are only in it for the music.
B: What was it like for you going to the early Forward>> at Velvet Room days?
S: Mad. Mental. Hearing my tune getting played in a club and people liking it: it was the maddest buzz in the world. It was a lot older back then. Bit more of a Champagne garage crowd too, but it was good.
B: Is the rumour about the Croydon limo true? That you lot all used to go to Forward>> in a limo?
S: Yeah. Everyone used to get mashed and go up in a limo. It weren’t looked at as weird.
B: So albums, what’s the plan?
S: I don’t wanna rush it. I could have had thirty albums by now but I want it to be good. But I’m trying to make eleven tracks I’ve really put a lot into. But I don’t have an album deal. I’d also like to start a label too though.
B: Is there a difference between Ollie and Skream?
S: There used to be. Skream used to be the chilled out one, I didn’t use to say anything, back when I smoked lots. I used to smoke lots when I was younger 14-16. It’s horrible though, you just waste years. It’s like ‘what have I don’t this year? Smoke.’
B: So can you name the best mashup times by Skream?
S: Ah haha. There’s a top 10! Were you there when I was sick in a speaker at Forward>>? That was humiliating.
B: You being arrested at Plastic Man’s Filthy Dub must be in the top 10…
S: Nah but that wasn’t my fault. I swear to god. My mate gave me a tenner in the toilets for a pint. The bouncers have gone ‘come here. Go upstairs!’ They pushed me out the door going ‘you’re a dealer mate.’ They didn’t find anything obviously but they still wouldn’t let me back in. Someone twisted my arm, I said ‘get off’ and it was a policeman. He threw me up against a window. I told him to ‘fuck off’ so he threw me on the floor. All people like Mark One are like ‘you alright, what’s happened?’ and I’m like ‘what does it look like’s happened? I’m being arrested.’ It was humiliating. It had looked like I’d done something really bad.
B: Shame because Filthy Dub was good...
S: Did you come to the first one when me and Chef played? Do you remember how busy it was? That was a proper one-off one. You wont ever get that again in Croydon. Dubstep don’t appeal to promoters here, all they think about is money. It’s all commercial music in there.
B: Do you feel like Forward>> is a family? Like you’ve grown up through it?
S: Yeah. I’ve met a lot of people through it, trust a lot of people too. It’s good, everyone gets on and when you go out there’s loads of you having a good time.
B: Have you got a big family?
S: Nah I’ve got one brother, he plays house. He’s Hijack: he used to be in [legendary south London raving crew] Internatty with Bailey, Grooverider and all that. That’s how I met Loefah, he came up to me and said ‘was your brother was in Internatty?’ My brother was on Energy FM and Kiss before Kiss was big, doing jungle sets. I’ve got a wall of ’89 to ’96 dubplates that have never been played, just clean and that.
B: Were you into jungle at the time?
S: Nah it’s when I got older. I love dark music, not just bass but deep stuff. I think it’s because I make beats I appreciate how well they’re made. When I listen to Photek now I freak. But I only started listening to all my brothers jungle later, though I don’t majorly listen to it.
B: Most of the darkness in garage can be traced back to El-B having been to Metalheadz and going ‘I’m gonna make garage, but dark’ with Groove Chronicles and the Ghost.
S: I was always on the El-B stuff from day. They were different, music with style. They were classy tracks, man.
B: Did Benga do the Hatcha VIP dub?
S: The one that’s just beats and bass? Yeah that’s Benga, a tune called “Star Wars.”
B: What’s Benga doing these days?
S: He’s doing production work with Artwork and working with some of the grime boys. He’s done two tracks with Crazy Titch, one of them I reckon could be quite big. And he’s done about four new dubstep tunes.
He’s cool though is Benga, hilarious. He laughs like a bird. And he’s got a slick afro. You see him walking through Croydon with a hairdryer – he’s had to go borrow one cos his hairdryer’s broken. It’s nutty. It was blazing heat the other day but he had to put his hood up because he was embarrassed of his hair. He was so hot. He looked like he was wearing a scuba diving outfit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)