Big Up Nine - When I Was A Youth

Stepping Into Tomorrow.

Apply now to be a part of the Red Bull Music Academy 2011 in Tokyo. www.redbullmusicacademy.com 1

BIGUPALLCREW Jason Leder – better known to the dnb world as Method One – is a producer, label owner, dj and freelance writer based in San Francisco. His background includes everything from a 1994 remix of Deee-Lite to cutting-edge releases on labels such as 31 Records, Levitated, Secret Operations and Outsider. soundcloud.com/method-one

Louise Smith is in need of a very long holiday.

Amanda Elliot is fresh out of San Francisco State University’s Journalism department and is getting in on the media world. People get ready. Get at me: wix.com/aelliot/amandaelliot

Audio Angel (Rashida Clendening) is an award-winning vocalist, actor and cheerleader for all things bass.

She lives in Oakland and wonders if she leaves the oven light on, will the cookies come home? soundcloud. com/audioangel

Dj Dials is getting better at Words With Friends. Just yesterday he got 64 points with the word ZAPS. He recently started playing against random opponents! When he isn't doing that, he writes strange music and makes people dance on the weekend. Check out his soundcloud for strange music: www.soundcloud.com/djdials

Donnie Valdez loves good biography haikus way more than you know

John is innovatively attempting to open your hearts and minds to the sounds of now. He finds solace in music, trusting his heart to guide him, and his mind to temper it with good judgement. “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” Jung

Ivy Something loves pianos, fresh mayo, cleaning her iron skillet, and helping strangers. She misses the sound of a 14.4kbps modem dialing late at night.

Sean Sanders is a SoCal transplant living in San Francisco. When he’s not critiquing music, he’s out creating under the name tremolo sounds. A surfing fanatic, you can sometimes catch Sean early in the morning out at Ocean Beach, or, if that’s not your style, he’s always down for a night out in the Mission.

Noele Lusano is an SF-based designer/artist/writer. She’s currently working on an art installation combining textworks and neon signage, having read a little too much sci-fi and Jenny Holzer as of late. In her spare time she collects rocks and drinks Tanqueray.

Alex Incyde is a deejay and producer who is living in Maui at the moment.

He has been known to do things for Dub War NYC, Hotflush Recordings, Sub.FM, and Surefire Agency. Watch out for his debut release "Axis" coming on Hotflush in early April.

Defending his crass internet behavior for the better part of the last decade, Owen Renn a.k.a. Shortstack has remained deeply involved in the southeastern US's emerging dubstep scene as a DJ, editor of icnt.mx, assisting with the Embassy Recordings label, and as a member of the Atlanta Dubstep collective.

Deevice is enjoying lots and lots of different music every week. You can hear some of it at soundcloud.com/djdeevice

Aeneas Panayiotou is an Amsterdam based "Professional Human." He has contributed absolutely nothing to this issue of Big Up… so stop reading about him.

Moises Tuchis is the inevitable externalization of sublimated repression. Currently, Moises resides in Twin Peaks, San Francisco and snorts life through a straw.

Yuan Zhou finally moved into a spacious place as she's always dreamt.

Soon more of her dreams will come true. She also recently fell in love with Prague and her new crush is Tippi.

Stephen a.k.a. SNF hosts the weekly program Steppin’ into Tomorrow on Dubstep.FM, produces a podcast and writes for the blog dubstepped. net. He’s deeply into percussive music emphasizing the low end from dubstep to jungle to hip hop and everything in between. Outside of music he’s occupied by science graduate school, public education, and political action. Forward!

Ben Daniels, who also goes by Ax!om MC, is a performer and avid music lover.

Puppy is a life long musician with a passion for rhythm and a craving for bass. His desire for earth shattering subs has put him on the wrong side of the law and inspired the conception of manny-a-puppies. San Diego native and avid button pusher, he can be found on the stage or in the crowd at local shows debating concepts of reality and smashing preconceived notions of what dubstep is.

JM a.k.a. Afro Monk is a Dallasbased DJ who writes about, supports and performs with and some of the most well-respected producers in the country. He is a contributor to TheUntz.com and also blogs through his own site, Afromonk. com, in addition to hosting a show on Glitch.fm.

Shilo Nikelle Urban (her real name) is from Los Angeles by way of Seattle, New Zealand, Paris, Maine and Austin; she lives for the music, writes for artists and works for Alpha Pup Records, Lucent Dossier Experience and the Pure Filth sound system.

Words, words, words. Jasmin loves words. She also loves music, astrophysics, wine, sticking her hands in dried beans, and going on superhero adventures with Miro of Surefire Agency.

Freek Wams is a (digital communication) student based in the city of Utrecht (the Netherlands). When he’s not behind his computer looking up stupid stuff, studying, reading, or listening to music he is trying to be a DJ and producer.

The advertising, features, and reviews appearing within this publication reflect the opinions of the respective contributors, and not necessarily those of the publisher or its affiliates. All rights to art, writing, photos, design, and/or likeness and copyrights are property of respective owners, and no assumption of ownership is made by this publication or the publishers. The publisher will be glad to correct any mistakes or omissions in our next issue. The content may not be reproduced in part or in whole without written permission from Big Up Magazine and the respective contributors. ©2011. Big Up Magazine.

Advertising Opportunities: alicia@thebigupmagazine.com Art Submissions: art@thebigupmagazine.com Writing Contributions: katya@thebigupmagazine.com

Music Reviews: musicbox@thebigupmagazine.com To join Stret Team: streetteam@thebigupmagazine.com General Inquiries: bigup@thebigupmagazine.com

Big Up Magazine. Printed by Sunquest. PO Box 194803, San Francisco, CA 94119, USA

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BIGUP NINE WHEN I WAS A YOUTH— DIGITAL SOUNDBOY ISSUE. BREAKAGE

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SHY FX

FRANCOISE NIELLY

JULI JAH

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22

B.TRAITS

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YOUNGMAN

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DONAE'O

58 PIGOLOGIST

SOLEIL IGNACIO

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40 +

MAGO COVER

EYE OF MUSIC BEHOLD: THE BRAINSTORM REvIEWS

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STORE FRONT Bob Marley And The Golden Age of Reggae Bob Marley And The Golden Age of Reggae is a testament in rare and largely unpublished pictures to some of the greatest years of Bob Marley’s career, and the history of reggae and dub music.

Through portraits, performance and personal shots, photographer Kim Gottlieb-Walker charts the rise of reggae with an unparalleled insight into the genre’s most iconic artists. Captured in Jamaica in the mid 1970s, never before collected and most never before published, this collection of powerful and pivotal pictures features Bob Marley, Peter

Tosh and Bunny Wailer, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Heptones, Inner Circle and Jacob Miller, Jimmy Cliff, Jr Murvin, Toots and The Maytals, George Harrison, Burning Spear and Third World.

Featuring a foreword from Hollywood filmmaker and former Rolling Stone journalist Cameron Crowe, this deluxe hardback collection also includes commentary from Island Records’ Jeff Walker, and founding editor of The Beat magazine, Roger Steffens.

Price: $30 www.titanbooks.com

Bassweight DVD When Kode9 says that Bassweight is "one of the best documentaries made about the full spectrum of dubstep", we tend to trust and give the film a shot. And we're not left disappointed.

Bassweight is a documentary, that offers an unparalleled insight into the world of dubstep, through in-depth interviews with many of the DJs, producers, and promoters who have been instrumental in dubstep’s ongoing evolution.

Skream, Benga, Kode9 and Mary Anne Hobbs are just some of the key players who have contributed, reflecting on the movement they’ve helped shape, and that has gone a long way from obscure origins in south London to global recognition today. Best eleven quid spent.

Price: $17 (including shipping) www.bassweightdvd.com

Hieroman woodallion Solid wood necklace with, front and back, laser engraved medallion.

Price: $30

Hieroman Standing 7" tall, the vinyl toy has the classic Hiero logo face, and comes equipped with a laser engraved wooden medallion necklace. Just like the better rappers in the industry he doesn't have just one face, but two. His head spins around to reveal a signature Gold Coin piece. Celebrating classic backpack rap, he's equipped with his own knapsack and green beanie.

Price: $100

The Legendary tee One night only! 6oz. 100% cotton tee. Shoulder to shoulder seam taped. Printed interior neck label and sleeve logo label.

Price: $30

Hieroglyphics x Gold Coin Collection Bay Area natives and legendary hip-hop crew Hieroglyphics and Gold Coin have teamed up to create The Hieroglyphics x Gold CoinCapsule Collection, a series of Hiero inspired clothing and accessories. www.goldcoin.bigcartel.com

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3rd Eye Vision tee Equipped with 3rd eye vision!

6oz. 100% cotton tee. Shoulder to shoulder seam taped. Printed interior neck label and sleeve logo label.

Price: $30

Skully Boom SB1 So apparently SkullyBoom is "what happens when art and technology get intoxicated and hook up." This time it looks like Japanese art got involved with a boombox to create SB1 – a portable amplified speaker system that works with any audio device. The SB1 allows audio fanatics to enjoy their tunes on the go, in a package that sounds as amazing as it looks. And one more thing: SB1 is the loudest portable speaker for its size on the market.

Price: $50 www.skullyboom.com

BREAKAGE 8

In these next few pages you will find in-depth information on how to effortlessly infiltrate, master, and break down the boundaries of any subdivision of underground electronic music.

Big Up has staged an interview process in order to extract such information from one of the UK Bass Cartel leaders himself. The subject of our interrogation, James Boyle, will be referred to as Breakage.

Once decoded, the following encrypted passages will enlighten one to the state of being known as

badman.

Read with caution. Many have sought the dream. Few have survived.

interview by Donnie Valdez

photo by Jamie Simmons

photo by Cleveland Aaron

this is my weakness – I find it extremely hard to make happy tunes. I tried one the other day, and it took the longest time to get a happy sequence of chords out of me.

What’s a typical studio day like for you?

Pretty much the same, just a change of location. Before the summer, I was making tracks out of my house. Since July I’ve moved into the studio. Just a bit of change in the scenery, really. Me and Shy have got a studio. So it’s me and Shy, obviously, and we’ve got Nero, Subfocus, and Chase & Status in the same building. I pretty much just get up, have a shower, then head to the studio and work on tunes, then go home and go to bed about four in the morning. And then pretty much do that every day. So the only part that really changes is when I’m actually traveling somewhere.

Do you think it helps to go somewhere else to make music rather than doing it at home?

Definitely. When it’s at home you just do it for the sake of it. You might not have an idea, and you might not be 10

making anything. When you go to the studio you have a purpose. It gives you a bit of structure. You really get into a certain routine. If my studio is at home, I end up procrastinating all day. But when I come to the real studio, there’s no TV, I turn off my phone for most of the day, and have no distractions. I’ve come here to do the job, so let’s get along with it! I like it a hell of a lot more.

The only bad thing about it, which I found out today, is if you’re sick and you’ve got music to finish, it’s not great leaving your house! That is the main downside for me.

If my studio is at home, I end up procrastinating all day. But when I come to the real studio, there’s no TV, I turn off my phone for most of the day, and have no distractions.

You can’t call in sick, huh?

Yeah, you can’t get that sick pay. That’s unfortunate. Before I had the studio, if I was sick, I’d just stay at home, lay in bed, and write beats on the laptop. I’ve still got the laptop, but so many of the beats that I’m working on are at the studio. I’ve pretty much not got an option. I literally just got sick now‚ I just sort of realized when you called me. I thought I was really tired, but no, I’m getting ill.

It wasn’t me.

[Laughs] It’s not good at all.

Do you listen to your own music a lot?

No. [Laughs] Only when I’m making it, or testing it in a mate’s car or at home. And then when it’s been mastered, just to make sure the masters are alright. And then of course the other times when I’m playing them out.

Some people listen to their own music, but I just wanna make it and almost forget about it.

I’ve finished tunes before and started another one right after, and been like, “I just made the same track twice.”

I’ve reached a couple of times where I’m obsessing with a track I’m working on, and it’s really hard to let it go. It’s stuck in your head and you’ve heard it like every day for two months or whatever. You think, “I’ve really got to not wanna hear it again,” before you move onto something else. I’ve finished tunes before and started another one right after, and been like, “I just made the same track twice…” I might listen to it five years later. That’s what I average, I think.

I went through a bunch of stuff the other day, found a bunch of tunes I did when I was in my early twenties. Some of them were tunes that came out. It makes it better to listen to, because you don’t want to change this, or change that. It might as well be someone else’s music. I’m not a fan of listening to my own stuff, because I do pick it apart so much.

What kind of music do you listen to outside of the studio?

Pretty much anything. No limit on what I listen to. I’m willing to give anything a go. If there’s a good pop tune, I like it. I don’t restrict myself. I listen to bloody everything from reggae, rock, house, trance, techno, ambient weird stuff, IDM‚ jazz, blues... whatever!

My music collection is absolutely all over the place. I’m starting to go into a record shop and just taking random CDs. “Oh, that one’s got a wicked cover.” “Oh, this one’s only three pounds.” Cause I don’t know what else to buy. I obviously never listen to them. I can’t remember the last time I bought a CD and actually listened to it start to finish, but one day I’m gonna go through them start to finish, and I’m gonna find out what I like. [Laughs] In the last three or four years, I’ve noticed that you make everything. What kind of electronic music can’t you make? Which one is your kryptonite?

Probably IDM. Or like ragga jungle. Can I change my mind? I could probably make IDM. I don’t know what IDM really is anymore. I think of Aphex Twin when I think of IDM. I don’t have a problem with Aphex Twin, or Venetian Snares or anyone like that, but it just seems to make those tunes would be awful.

I don’t like that whole “this is my album, it’s not really an album, it’s just a bunch of tunes I made last year” thing.

It has to have some sort of structure.

Other than that, I’m trying to make a lot of different stuff that I like. I’m done mimicking. Actually, this is my weakness – I find it extremely hard to make happy tunes. I tried one the other day, and it took the longest time to get a happy sequence of chords out of me.

It took like two days. A four chord loop! It took forever... I’m not really gonna be rushing into making anything happy again.

When I first heard you were working with Burial I immediately thought of the tune “So Mars.” I’ve heard you are feeling like getting into pushing the jungle sound again. Is this something we can expect from you on your next album?

I don’t want to give anything away. It’s so early. I could say, “It’s gonna sound like a mixture of hard, Dutch techno and country music.” And that could be where my head is right now, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be on the album. The only time you know where you album is headed is in the last couple of months. That’s when you know what tunes are gonna be on there, and you know what direction it’s taking. That’s when you know it makes sense, as well. When I was making the last album, it didn’t seem to make much sense to me and Shy. It didn’t feel like everything fit into its right place. I ended up taking another six months to rearrange stuff...

Shy’s got the cheesiest jokes, without a doubt. They’re always terrible. They are the sort of jokes that are so unfunny, you’d laugh.

I probably will have to do it again though, because I’m very much a perfectionist. I don’t like that whole “this is my album, it’s not really an album, it’s just a bunch of tunes I made last year” thing. It has to have some sort of structure. You can put different styles on there, or different tempos‚ different leads. Say you want your album to sound quite rocky -- it doesn’t mean every tune has to have a rock element to it. If you listen to it start to finish, it just needs to feel like they all belong next to each other. But there might be some jungly stuff on there. I wouldn’t rule it out.

What’s the best food you had while on the road?

Not the best, but one that comes to mind -- I stay at this hotel called Malmaison a lot. They’ve got various ones all over England. They do an amazing steak. Like a-mazing.

Amazing steak?

Yeah, yeah! Room service steak, and it’s just gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous! I’m fully in love with that steak. It’s great. Other than that, probably America. Los Angeles, and around up the west coast. I lived there for so long, so I suppose that’s kind of biased, and it doesn’t really count as on the road. Although I once went to this place in San Francisco that had really good Philly cheese steaks... Afterall, I think I’m gonna go with Malmaison.

Regarding Digital Soundboy, I want some dirt. What are the relationships like in the crew?

Oh they’re great, there’s no dirt! [Laughs] So does B.Traits bring drama in?

No! No. Everyone seems to get along from what I know...

Who is the funniest person to kick it with in the crew? Who’s got the jokes?

Me. [Laughs] If you put me, Shy, and Stamina in a room, it’s pretty hilarious. Just because we piss around all day. For someone who’s funny without knowing they’re funny, I would say B.Traits. She doesn’t actually realize it’s funny, do you know what I mean? She’s not intentionally trying to raise a laugh, it’s just her being her, and we’ll have a laugh. It’s unfair but we do have a laugh at her expense.

[Laughs] Not in a bad way, you know, same way if your brother or one of you friends does something silly.

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I don’t know who it’d come down to in a sort of joke battle. I’d say Shy’s got the cheesiest jokes, without a doubt. They’re always terrible. They’re the sort of jokes that are so unfunny, you laugh.

Whyyyy? Why bring that joke up? I take too long to say them and when I’ve gotten there, it’s not funny anymore. I’m gonna have to go with Stamina. Funniest geezer.

asked when I’ll be free next. “Day after Christmas for about a few hours, and then I gotta go on tour. Sometime next year?” I know by the time it gets to that point, it’ll be like, “Sometime in February?

March? Sometime in April?” And it goes like that. You might see your mates like once every few months for a few hours. But, it’s a small price to pay for doing what you love, I think.

Any releases or remixes to watch out for?

Oh, and prepare for your girl to be the same way as well. I never get to see my girl. She lives in LA, but even when she’s over, for the most part, I’ve got gigs. You know, it’s fun at first, but after a while your girl’s like, “I ain’t traveling for four hours to go somewhere for an hour.” Prepare to spend a lot of time by yourself. I think to be a producer, you have to enjoy spending time by yourself sitting in front of a computer. I think that’s the number one producer rule.

Yeah. I can’t remember all the stuff that the label is doing. I’ve got a brain like a bucket with a hole in it, but I’ve got a single coming out on the label in February with Jess Mills. I’m hoping that does really well. It’s my first actual release without being a remix in just under a year, so I’m kind of happily nervous. There is a video done for it; we just shot the video yesterday. Other than that, I’ve got a remix of a Magnetic Man featuring John Legend. I can’t remember the name of the track, I think it’s “Getting Over.”

Big Up... ...Everyone who’s supported me.

...best piece of advice: If you do well, prepare to have no social life. [...]

But, it’s a small price to pay for doing what you love.

Any advice for those getting into music production?

photo by Jamie Simmons

Hmmm, best piece of advice: If you do well, prepare to have no social life. [Laughs] That’s what I’ve been getting used to lately, just the lack of a social life. Be ready for your friends to get pretty mad at you at home. I get phone calls on a regular basis, like I was speaking to my mate today, and he wanted to know if I’d go out to some restaurant that we both live close to, and I said, “I can’t do Monday, what about Tuesday?” He said that he can’t and

BREAKAGE: MY Current top 5 tracks [in no particular order]

Breakage Ft. Jess Mills Fighting Fire Deadmau5 Bad Selection Benga Don’t Wanna Kutz Big and Bad Foamo (Remix) Fighting Fire

JULI JAH 14

Meet Juli Jah, a self-confessed caffeine junkie whose art often prompts people to ask whether she’s on acid. She lives in Vilnius, Lithuania, is currently studying the complex subject of interior architecture, and is in a pretty heavy relationship with her mac – nice! Juli may be small, but she is one busy lady with a big imagination.

Or maybe she’s been seized from the sky by aliens and reverted back to the underground? Who knows?

interview by Louise Smith

Brutal Murder Chick

Hi Juli, how are you?

Hey Lou, thanks, I’m fine. Really busy and tired but still trying to survive.

Your art is very imaginative, like something out of a fantasy world. Have you always been such a creative person?

Imagination, hmm... Actually many different things are taking part in my creativity process. Influences come from any people, any places, situations, feelings. Everything that happens in my life leaves a paper message on the desks of my subliminal. It’s the reason why I choose these or those colors, forms, or anything else in my drawings. I have always been a crazy, mischievous person.

Creative? I don’t know, maybe. I’ve been drawing since I remember myself, if that’s what you mean.

Everything that happens in my life leaves a paper message on the desks of my subliminal.

So you started drawing from an early age?

Yeah, I’ve been drawing on the walls in my room, everywhere! I was like a destroying machine for mom’s flowers too — I used them as my “art installations” when I was a little girl — then my mom decided to send me to a school of fine arts. And then it became not a hobby, but an addiction.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Well, many people ask me: am I on acid when I’m drawing my illustrations? They say that it reminds them of wonderland stuff — I can only answer that electronic sounds help me to make a big hop to my wonder-bunkers, where I get all of my female headmasters and their pets.

Are there any visual artists out there who greatly influence your style of work?

Sure I have some favorites, but they didn’t influence my style a lot. I like some photographers’ works, Wolfgang Tillmans’, for example.

Let’s talk about “Brutal Murder Chicks.”

Who are these girls and how did you come up with the concept?

“Brutal Murder Chicks.” Sounds pretty sexy, right? Actually, I never worry about concepts or other info stuff. The only thing I give for my artwork is titles. The idea 16

for the name of this project came from British Murder Boys, whose tracks I was listening to when I was drawing the first chick. There are no deep concepts or any extraordinary ideas, I just love men who love women, and it’s the only one purpose of these drawings.

What is your creative process? What does it take to create a piece?

If I have a vision in my head, I just want to draw it and share with people. Special mood. Good sounds. Respiration!

Do you have a favorite piece?

Hmm… I really don’t know how to answer that question. I love all of my work when it is in process... but after a while I get bored with it.

Your “Nasty Drawings” are also really interesting, especially “Imaginary Friends.” Is there any meaning behind this piece?

Thanks! I find them a little bit grotesque.

Many of my creatures are constructed from darkness and sweetness elements.

Same here… neat baby monster which has a conversation with his imaginary friend, who comes only at night or maybe morning.

To date, what has been your most challenging project?

I’m studying interior architecture and design and I have a project for my term paper right now. It’s a Fetish Hotel, which should be done after the new year. Pails of Red Bull, sleepless nights and white horses at last! Architecture students should understand me.

...electronic sounds help me TO make a big hop to my wonder-bunkers, where I get all of my female headmasters and their pets.

I really enjoy making that stuff, but the deadline is in mid-January, that’s killing me. And at last, it’s pretty uncomfortable to speak with male elderly professors about fetish drug sex orgies.

Haha, I can imagine. How do you find time to balance your studies with your artwork?

It’s really difficult to balance everything, because it’s totally different things. When I got into the Vilnius Academy of fine arts, I thought, “oh interior designing, that is so cool.” Sure, I really enjoy making interiors but there is another dark side — architecture and technical things — that clips your wings really often. I’ll start the diploma project in February, so I guess it will be a pause till the summer, but later

Graphic for Apple

Music saves my imagination; it has the biggest and strongest influence while I’m drawing. All that dirty industrial architecture of sounds makes me artistic and creative.

I’ll have more time for my illustrations, I’ll be more productive.

waiting for the right moment and it always comes.

Do you ever suffer from creative blocks?

What’s your remedy for dealing with them?

Is music important to you? Do you listen to it while you work?

Hunger days! For sure! Dealing? Actually I don’t think that it is a big deal, artwork is not a cookie or another product. I’m just

Music saves my imagination; it has the biggest and strongest influence while I’m drawing. All that dirty industrial architecture of sounds makes me artistic

and creative. I totally admire techno music; it causes big blizzards of extraordinary ideas in my mind.

Finally, is there anything else you want to add? Any words of wisdom?

Just breathe...

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Feminism In Her Dreams

Shizzanowa

Imaginary Friends

From Dean's Blue Hole

Fox Food

YOUNGMAN 22

Simon Smith a.k.a. Youngman MC has been holding down mic duties both at home and abroad for over ten years now, and he's only a quarter of a century old. As a talented singer, MC, producer, and businessman, 2011 looks to find him working with the best in his game.

We linked up with Simon for a chat about his forthcoming album, philosophy, and a sea of panties, before his call to arms at London's Fabric night club...

interview by John Dawson

photo by Latifu Laoye

It's Friday night, what are you doing after you get off the phone to me?

Well, I'm just at Benga's house right now. We're heading down to Fabric tonight and playing at 2 a.m. There's been a lot of hype about tonight. It's wicked, the shows we're doing at the moment are getting sold out.

Really good vibes, and people are in it just to party hard.

Sounds dope. So give us a bit of your background. What role did music play in your life as a child?

As a child I listened to a lot of soul, and at the same time loads of drum and bass and jungle, obviously, because my father is a producer. My mother played R'n'B, soul and funky stuff, so I listened to quite a wide variety of music, really.

I try to emulate my idols and keep it soulful, but obviously fused with the bassline music of today.

When do you think your career in music really started to take off?

It's strange, I think there have been stages and developments.

I mean, the last year has opened up whole load of opportunities.

And I'm in a really good place at the moment. I think the first time I realized that this was really working out was a few years ago when I was very busy in the drum and bass scene, emceeing and hosting. A few releases were coming out and I had a mixtape on the shelves. Radio play was happening on 1Xtra and Radio 1.

At that point I was happy, but last year was a really successful year for me with signing to Digital Soundboy and going on tour with Benga and Skream.

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quite a lot of DJ bookings. I remember doing a couple in Belgium with Goldie. But at the same time I was doing some vocal work. Obviously, I could get bookings on the back of that; whereas, as I wasn't producing, it was harder to get bookings on the DJ front, and I wasn't getting the recognition. By the time I was about 18, I could support myself just on the back of the vocals, and my heart was in it.

You're tight with Simon "Bassline" Smith. I hear, in fact, he's your dad and you've made some great tracks together. Any favorite collaborations?

Let me think... A track called "Steal My Heart," which was basically my dad and his partner Drumsound, who have worked together a lot over the years. It was a heavily vocal track, which gave me a lot of recognition in the early days, because people saw me as a singer instead of just an MC... And another track called "Everybody Pump Now." What years we're they released?

I'm going to have a guess, that was about early 2004. I've been recording since I was about 13-14 years old.

Could you tell us a bit about your clothing range... Peng People?

What happened was I started putting out a few rough designs before working on the "Kick, Snare" track with Crissy Criss. It was so popular that I thought we may as well roll this out a little bit and develop some of the ideas.

A lot of kids want to get into music, and their only avenue is the likes of X-Factor.

I understand you used to be pretty proficient on the decks.

What made you kick the habit and wax lyrical instead?

We've sold a lot of units now, it's mental. I've had to put it on hold while I work on the music, but I'm planning to re-launch it towards the end of the year.

I reckon it was when I was about 15-16. At the time I was taking

You've helped set up a new education scheme "Music and Life

Workshops" How's that going?

I'm a business management graduate, so I've got a few schemes and business ideas I've been developing over the last few years.

The workshops have been really, really inspirational. A lot of kids want to get into music, and their only avenue is the likes of X-Factor. The concept was to give them a taste of urban music in a constructive way, that will push them musically and provide them with good role models to develop skills.

Your voice seems to lend itself well to the styles of hip hop and R'n'B. Do you enjoy working at these tempos? Why? I don’t really mind about tempos.

I like singers like Michael Jackson, Al Green, and Stevie Wonder, vocal gods in my eyes. I try to emulate my idols and keep it soulful, but obviously fuse it with the bassline music of today.

It was great to go the whole nine yards and work on a mixtape album Who I Be with the Natural Born Hustlaz camp. That release really gave me an opportunity to flex my vocal chords and explore my passion for R’n’B. The bassline genre got big a couple of years ago with your support. What attracted you to the 4 x 4 beats?

Ok, ok... I’m originally from a place called Derby, in the Midlands, and “bassline” was very much a northern development from places like Leeds, Sheffield, and Birmingham. Therefore, being in the middle of this I was just naturally getting involved.

At the time it was almost like the northern answer to grime.

If I’m honest, I’m not a fan, but can see the attraction. Were you responsible for the track "They Call It Bassline?"

Yeah. That track went big, and became an anthem for the genre.

Bassline had a really successful couple of years and then faded away. I didn’t over think it too much, it was just a little movement I was involved in, and at the time it was a good look.

Crissy Criss and you hooked up on the album Give You the World, along with the smash hit "Kick, Snare" last year. What's your relationship like?

Crissy Criss man, he’s been a really good friend since I was about 14-15 years old. It’s mad, we were just musical friends, never having met but sending each other bits through AIM and MSN, exchanging ideas, etc.

Our relationship is really good, but the mental thing is we’ve never worked in the same studio together! We work strictly over the internet! He’ll send me a beat or I’ll send over vocals and we’ll just develop it using the technology.

The digital revolution is taking us through to the next generation.

It’s a beautiful thing!

Yeah man, we’ve got a really good relationship. Like you said "Kick, Snare" was a massive track and last year was great for Crissy Criss and Youngman as a band.

Make sure you move with the people that you love, enjoy every day, and work your hardest. Don’t take things too seriously.

So what else went down on the record?

Basically it ended up with about 40% dubstep, 40% drum and bass, and the rest touching elements of soul, hip-hop, funky, and breakbeat vibes. Multigenre as we like to call it. [Laughs] Speaking of albums, I understand you've got one in the works?

Yea, I’m working on an album for Digital Soundboy. I signed to them mid 2010 and the debut single "Hope / One and Only" was produced by Benga, which went on to receive a lot of support including Mista Jam’s "JamHot" on Radio 1...

Before the album drops, we’ll be releasing another single "Tear It Out / Slaughter" (a.k.a. "I Warned Ya") due around April I hope. The

photo by Latifu Laoye

As far as music is concerned, do it because you love it, do it because you feel it, not because your forced to, for deadlines, OR money.

executive producers on the album are Benga and Shy FX, and I don’t want to give away too much but a couple of beats will be written by Skream. I feel blessed to have them on board, and now we’re just gaining momentum to get the material finished by late 2011.

day if I chose to change my name, and explore different territory, people will take interest and accept it. But right now, let’s just focus on today.

What's your philosophy on life?

Whoa! Tough question man, I don’t even know where to start. There are so many people I’d like to collaborate with. Vocally, a clear idol would be Michael Jackson. I would have loved to get in the studio with him.

Amazing...

My philosophy on life has changed actually...

I feel like right now, life is good. Make sure you move with the people that you love, enjoy every day, and work your hardest. Don’t take things too seriously. As far as music is concerned, do it because you love it, do it because you feel it, not because you’re forced to, for deadlines, or for money. It’s all about expressing yourself.

Are you planning to stick around in the music industry long enough to call yourself "Oldman MC"?

Haha! I’ve always been called Youngman, as I share the same name as my father, Simon Smith. Added to that I’ve got a youthful face and was at gigs, events, and clubs from an early age. My take on that is this... I want to be as big as I can, as an artist, and bring that youth and energy to everything I do. So, one

If you could collaborate with any artists dead or alive, who would you roll with?

I want to be as big as I can, as an artist, and bring that youth and energy to everything I do.

But the people I’m working with right now, I could not ask for more. For example, Shy FX. If someone would have said five years ago that I could work with him, I’d be getting emotional.

Any funny stories you could tell us from the last 12 months touring?

Benni [Benga] and I have been a little notorious over the last year. There was an incident when we drove his brand new convertible down a

flight of stairs in front of Matter nightclub. We completely buckled the chassis...

If someone would have said five years ago, I could work with him [SHY FX], I’d be getting emotional.

Then there was a moment when we did a track called "No Bras, No Panties" in Newcastle, and next a sea of bras and panties were thrown at us. The stage was jammed up with underwear!

Being on tour with Skream and Benga is mental. We just have it, and love life.

Alright Simon, it’s been great speaking to you.

Any Big Up's to friends and fam?

Yeah, for sure. I think it’s really important to have a solid foundation in this business. In my case, I definitely want to thank Technique Recordings for all the work they’ve done to help me learn over the years, and letting me tour at the age of 17. I was young and naive and obviously not that good, but I’ve learned a lot since. Big Ups to my father, Simon "Bassline" Smith, and Drumsound. And thanks to Digital Soundboy for having the vision... And thanks to Benga for being a massive part of the developments over the last year.

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NIELLY

FRANÇOISE

SplashES of neon colors, glow stick explosions, intense facial expressions, strong powerful strokes, and some more color... these are the main but not the only ingredients FranÇoise Nielly uses for her art recipes.

Her large, deliciouslooking, candylike paintings, confidently created from black and white photographs, express lots of FranÇoise' own passionate, vivid, freedomloving personality.

Brought up in the beautiful south of France and now living in energy-filled Paris, miss fluorescent happily paints at night, lighting up the dark with her frosting cake colors.

interview by Katya Guseva 26

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To Hell with Gravity

Françoise, I’ve been looking at your artwork from 2002 to 2010, and all of the portraits have this intense, bold, seductive, serious look. The only smiling one I could find is the one of Obama. Why is that?

Not all paintings are on my web site, there are some other ones with smiles. But not a lot though, because they don't go very well with paintings. They can become too photographic, if you know what I mean.

It's really hard to go away from fluorescent colors after you've already started, because they give such light and so much energy.

As for the president Obama, during his election, the world had its eyes on him.

Those days were really intense and I was so happy for America and for him. His smile came out naturally in the painting. It was quite a bright moment.

I noticed that in your earlier paintings you've used less color, not as intense as in your current work. How did you arrive at neon colors?

finished. There is just a moment when I need to stop because I gave it everything I could!

Being Miss Fluo, do you surround yourself with neon colors in your everyday life?

Home, clothes, car? Or is painting your only outlet for this energy?

My car is not painted with fluorescent colors, but I would love it to be! You know, Paris is not an outlying city, really... But I've got some colorful design/decorative items and sometimes colorful clothes as well.

How would you describe the main message that you try to convey with your art?

Energy and passion.

A painting is never finished. There is just a moment when I need to stop because I gave it everything I could!

What does it mean to be an artist for you personally?

To be free and to take risks.

Well, it's not possible to start with so many colors... I got introduced to fluorescent pigments by chance and I have started with pink, then yellow. It's really hard to go away from fluorescent colors after you’ve already started, because they give such light and so much energy. Other colors come along behind them... But I like the subtle combination of colors. It's like a magic wand changing the painting.

Do you feel like this is an important stage now, or will it transform into something else in the future?

It is definitely an important step but it will surely be transformed... I can’t predict the future anyway.

I like the subtle combination of colors.

It's like a magic wand changing the painting.

How long does it take you to complete a portrait? And how do you know when a painting is finished?

I have a few days that I set aside and dedicate solely to painting. I often work pretty late at night. These are pure moments of happiness for me... A painting is never

28

Will art save the world?

It can only be Art, because God is dead.

What would you do if you had an extra arm?

I have some ideas for four arms, but three...

I don't know.

What kind of music do you listen to when you’re making art, if any?

I tune into the radio and I listen to music as well. It depends. I can listen to some Chopin and the next day some rap music.

If you were to give some words of wisdom to aspiring artists, what would they be?

Passion! Patience!

— Will art save the world?

— It can only be Art, because God is dead.

www.francoise-nielly.com

Untitled 590

Les Diaboliques

Untitled 467

Nightlife

Kathakali

Untitled 572

photo by Zen Inoya

Andre Williams — better known to his fans as Shy FX — has long been at the forefront of bass-heavy dance music.

With an influence that has touched jungle, dubstep, grime and reggae, Shy FX and his label Digital Soundboy have been bringing musical innovation to dancefloors and headphones alike.

This is shaping up to be a big year for Shy FX, with the hot new single "Raver", a fresh album in the works, and numerous high-level projects coming from the Digital Soundboy crew. To find out more, we sat down with the "Original Nuttah" himself to talk about everything from classic jungle to the iPod generation, and where the label fits into a rapidly evolving music scene.

interview by Jason Leder

SHY FX

With a career spanning two decades,

35

You've been around since the early days of jungle. What would you say is the connection between the tunes you've done back then, like "Original Nuttah," and what you're making in 2011?

music, doesn't matter what tempo, and everyone's just trying to push things forward. And when an opportunity like the "Raver" video comes about, everyone wants to be part of it. That's the vibe.

Let me try to explain it... What attracted me to the jungle in the first place is that it was like a big melting pot of different genres of music. It was just the tempo and obviously the sub-bass that tied the differences together. What I loved about jungle was the fact that you could go to a party and you wouldn't really know what to expect. You knew the vibe of the beats, but you didn't know what was gonna come, is it gonna be the reggae vibe, or hip hop vibe, or classical, or rock.

The way I produce is always the same.

Usually there's some form of skank in the bassline, and different cultures and different genres thrown in. It doesn't sound confused though...

The rave scene has changed a lot since the '90s. Do you feel that raves are still relevant? Or is it simply clubbing nowadays?

What attracted me to the jungle in the first place is that it was like a big melting pot of different genres of music.

You know the "Raver" track I've done?

You know how it starts off on a reggae vibe, then it goes to the jungle feel and it ends up on the salsa tip? That's the way I produce, I try to throw in as many different influences as possible. I really think my taste changed, I love melodies, I love songs. So my production is definitely different, but as far as the vibe and what I'm trying to say with music is still the same.

Since you mentioned the "Raver" track, let's talk about the video for it. How hard was it to set up all the cameo appearances?

[Laughs] It wasn't really hard. Just a few phone calls, really. We actually had to take a lot of people out. I had the idea probably a year ago to do something like this, but then Duck Sauce's "Barbara Streisand" video came out, so obviously we had to be very careful not to make it look like a rip off of that.

We had about a hundred people in the original cut, but then we had to cut it down and focus on music. The way things are running right now, especially with the Digital Soundboy camp, we pretty much get on with everyone, we're releasing everyone's music, we're playing everything, everyone loves making 36

I find I'm playing more clubs and festivals than raves. Definitely. I think the rave culture is going. At the same time, guys like myself, we bring that vibe to the club.

And I know it sounds weird, but if I was brought up as a club DJ, there's no way I'd be playing the way I played. I think the energy and the way you put tunes together is pretty much rave no matter what environment you're playing in.

I'm not sure about whether or not the rave scene has a place in 2011. So much has changed though, from the music to substances people do or don't take. At the time when I started partying, it was very very very difficult to hear this music.

Now drum and bass, jungle, dubstep, wherever you look, it's easily accessible; you can go online and listen to a tune someone made yesterday. It's a different time. You don't necessarily have to go out and rave anymore.

Things change, but as long as you keep your vibe and make it fit with what's going on, you'll be alright.

Actually the other day I was looking on YouTube comments on one of the tunes

by Breakage, who has made some of the deepest sub-bass tunes. And a couple of guys said the tune needed more bass.

And then another guy commented that they needed a subwoofer, 'cause it's a heavy tune. And they replied, "What's that?" It just reminded me of how there's a new generation, where not a lot of people even go out to parties. They listen to tunes on YouTube and they think that the midrange bass, the distorted side of things, is the bass. It's middle range!...

But that's just the way things are right now... I feel like I'm drifting away from the original question. So yes. Things change, but as long as you keep your vibe and make it fit with what's going on, you'll be alright.

Ok, let's change the topic and go to the album you're working on, called Larger Than Life. When is it coming out and who are you working with?

I'm going to finish it in the next couple of months, so depending on some other releases coming out... it should be released middle of the year I reckon.

I'm collaborating with other artists, which I can't really get into just yet. But I'm working with so many people... At the moment I know about 80% of the tracklist. But we'll see what happens closer to the deadline.

photo by Dave Bullock

What kind of stuff is going to be on the album? And how will it fit with the Digital Soundboy label?

Well, I used to put out my records on Ebony, because I had no choice. I had issues with S.O.U.R. records at the time. And Ebony was the way to get my stuff out there. It wasn't really out of love – Ebony was designed out of necessity. When I started thinking about my next album, and seeing what kind of labels are out there, I couldn't really see one. So I thought the best thing to do is to create a label that would be more than happy to put my own album out.

The first release we did was Incognito's remix of "Feelings," and then we started mixing things up from there, and merging styles... I like labels like XL and Ninja Tune, who keep it diverse. That's what I'm trying to do at the minute. I think my album basically reflects the label. It's a wide comment, isn't it? But it's very me. I'm more free

I don't see Digital Soundboy as a drum and bass label, I don't see it as a dubstep label, I don't see it as a mash up label. I just see it as a label for good bass music. Period. now to do what I want. And coming back to "Raver," I don't think I'd ever be switching tempos so much on a track. But now with the label, I can, because nobody knows what to expect anyway. And that's the vibe I want. It's an eclectic album, but it still feels jungle.

Seems like you did expand the label's sound from just being drum and bass to including artists like Skream, Benga and Youngman.

How does it fit in with your vision of the label?

The label is just the best bass dance music that's out there. Period.

37

I don't see Digital Soundboy as a drum and bass label, I don't see it as a dubstep label, I don't see it as a mash up label. I just see it as a label for good bass music. Period.

Stay true to yourself. It sounds so bloody cliche. But really, just do what's in your heart, only do what you feel.

Plus you've built up the whole Digital Soundboy crew around the label. How do you go about finding new artists to be associated with the label?

Just vibes. For example, when Benny [Page] joined, I didn't know him at the time. He kept sending me loads and loads of tunes, but he'd never say anything. And then when "Turn Down The Lights" came through, I reached out to him, and his vibes were just right. I could tell he just enjoys it; there's no politics, no ego, no nothing, just music. The same thing with Breakage and everyone. Every Monday we go away to the country with whoever is around and do listening sessions. We just listen to music and vibe. We're just guys who all get on. We just want to make good music and push things forward.

Also, when you're sending tunes out to labels or DJs, especially when you're new, instead of sending everything you've ever done, just send the two best ones. If you send in a bunch of average tracks, by the time I’ve gotten to two or three of them, I won’t give the rest the time of day. I really think that's important, you might even miss some gems because of that.

A question for the tech heads. Do you have a favorite piece of gear in the studio?

Oooi! Oh my days! I love my Neve 1073! I love my LA-2A compressor!

I've got a Fairchild compressor as well that I really love. Lord, it goes on and on and on! I'm nuts when it comes to equipment. Seriously! And I've just started up my synths game. My synths game is NAUGHTY! In the early days I've been buying loads of outboard, obviously because we had no choice. Then I got rid of it. And in the last few years I've been spending my time just buying loads of outboard again.

Do you have any hobbies?

Nope. None at all. I get told off a lot for not being able to unwind.

Music is my hobby, you know?

Are there any other upcoming projects involving the crew?

What do you see as the future of Digital Soundboy?

The ones I can talk about are my album, of course, and Breakage is finishing his album. We just signed Donae'o properly. He's coming up with an album this year. B.Traits will be finally releasing her stuff. There's loads of good things coming up this year. We've also partnered up with Polydor. Basically DSB will still run exactly the way we do things, but we also now have the opportunity to offstream things to Polydor for projects that deserve and will warrant the machinery and the push.

Brilliant. What suggestions would you give to new artists who are trying to break through in this music scene?

Try and carve your own style. Obviously you gotta be aware of what's going on, but have your own sound. The amount of times I hear tunes that sound like Breakage, for example, is ridiculous.

Definitely keep your mind open, listen to other music, not just the style that you're creating.

Back in my days, there was no such thing as drum and bass or dubstep; we carved it, we created it, and loads of sounds came from different places, influences were from all over the place. Lots of people nowadays have grown up listening to drum and bass or dubstep, for example, and that's all they're listening to. So when they make it, there's no fresh flavor. So just listen to different music, even if you don't like it, you will still soak it in.

Learn your equipment. Stay away from Massive. That Brutal Electro preset, just stay away from it, whatever you do...

Learn your equipment. Stay away from Massive. That Brutal Electro preset, just stay away from it, whatever you do... Stay true to yourself. It sounds so bloody cliche. But really, just do what's in your heart, only do what you feel. At the same time be prepared to take constructive criticism. And, I hate to say this part, but If you've been in it for a good while, and you're not getting anywhere, then maybe it's not for you. I don't mean to sound negative, but as much as you should know where to give up, you should know where to keep going. At the same time, send your beats out to people like myself and whoever else, and we'll definitely give you feedback.

38

Just putting out good music. That’s it. That’s the best anyone can hope for for a label. And yeah in ten years' time hopefully I’ll be having this conversation with you, talking about the previous ten years.

That would be really cool. Do you see any developing trends in music in 2011?

I like how a lot of the mainstream artists have adopted elements from a lot of the music we did. When I say “we” I’m talking about sidekicks.

For example, I love what Jaime Woon is doing. I love where he's taken the sparseness and space of dubstep... I love what Redlight's doing, which is merging beats even more than what we're doing here.

At some point it got to a stage where everyone was pushing, trying to get the loudest mix down and the weirdest craziest sound, and actually forgot about the groove and the vibe. And now I’m seeing a lot of music makers with vibe.

I think people began to respect their equipment and not just plugging, gullying, and wobbling things down. I think people are being sensible now, and using it as a musical instrument, and shaping things, and creating vibe again. At some point it got to a stage where everyone was pushing, trying to get the loudest mix down and the weirdest craziest sound, and actually forgot about the groove and the vibe. And now I’m seeing a lot of music makers with vibe. You know, I think that vibe on its own doesn’t work, and great mixdowns and knowing your plugins doesn't work either (it just becomes plugin music). But if you get the balance right, which a lot of people do now, I think it'll bring interesting times ahead.

One can only hope.

You're right, but I think everyone is more open-minded now. I think there’s the iPod generation, when you can go to anyone's iPod and you aren’t gonna hear one specific type of music, you are gonna hear everything. People are getting more into music and are inspired by it.

SOLEIL IGNACIO

Soleil Ignacio is hard to miss.

On any given day, you could spot her mobbing the streets of

Manila, Philippines in her combat boots, sporting funky shorts, an oversized top, and a mane with

a mind of its own. “Here in the Philippines, if you wear boots, the ‘normal’ people stare at you,” she says. “Maybe it’s just because the people here are not used to people like me.”

40

words by Amanda Elliot

A Dream Aloud

Soleil Ignacio, 21, a graphic artist and illustrator, is in the business of creating. A recent graduate of the University of the Philippines, she got serious about her craft when she started college around 2006. These days, she works for STATUS Magazine and has big dreams for her art.

tresses, may not be a far cry from the way Soleil views herself.

“I was just so full of creativity at that time,” she says. “My hand couldn’t even keep up with the things I was thinking!”

Constantly drawing inspiration both inwardly and outwardly, Soleil stores ideas until they are literally spilling out of her.

The product of an artistic family, Soleil remembers sketching favorite cartoon characters with her cousin as a kid, and always being in the company of good music. “I just drew for fun [growing up],” she says. “But when I stepped into college, I got so inspired by the people around me that I decided I would pursue this path.” In keeping with her wild-child persona, Soleil plays with dramatic textures, lines, and patterns when creating illustrations and graphic designs. “Vector is still my favorite style,” she says of the use of geometric primitives to create computer illustrations. “I love how clean, flowy, and crisp vectors look.”

Sometimes whimsical and dainty, other times vibrant and psychedelic, her work is reminiscent of three of her favorite artists: Los Angeles-based painter Audrey Kawasaki; New York-based art director, designer, and illustrator Sara Blake; and Taiwanese-American artist James Jean. “God, I adore Audrey so much,” she says. “Every time I see her work I get so inspired, and draw, and draw, and draw!” The same goes for works by Blake and Jean. “Their works are just so beautiful,” she gushes. “The lines, strokes, and colors they use are perfect for me.”

Lately, Soleil has been experimenting by combining old school mediums with contemporary ones, like pencils and watercolor with vector graphics. “It’s weird, because I love the crisp cleanness of vector, but at the same time I love how rough pencil lines are.”

I know, where things are, better when they are messed up and all around, and ironically I lose things when they are neat and clean.

According to Soleil, lack of mainstream support for the Filipino art and music scenes makes for a deep underground community of lowbrow and independent artists. Because this world is kept on the down low, the bond between those on the inside is strong. “I’m not hiding it – I love to drink,” she says. “[My friends and I] just get all hyper and just laugh with each other the whole night.” A “happy” Soleil can often be spotted at Cubao X, an independent artist hangout in Manila.

To get herself in the mood, Soleil prefers to be alone in her own space with her iPod handy, surrounded by things of beauty and her own special brand of disarray. “I’m kind of a messy person, but that’s how I organize things,” she says. “I know where things are better when they are messed up and all around, and ironically I lose things when they are neat and clean.” Upbeat, playful jams by Passion Pit, Phoenix, and Ra Ra Riot are staples on her inspirational playlist. “I feel very creative when I hear their songs,” she says. “It’s like my brain’s chemical reaction to hearing their songs is to produce more creative juice.”

I always have a vision of how it will end up, but of course along the way I change some little details or add something.[If] I see something new and good, I get inspired from that and apply it to the work I’m doing.”

Creative juice was in ample supply last November when Soleil created “A Dream Aloud,” a marriage of two different sketches pasted together on Adobe Photoshop enhanced with feminine elements on Adobe Illustrator. The piece, depicting a young woman with erratic lines, shapes, and patterns in her unruly 42

In between her tasks, I usually see her sketching up some awesome illustrations in her black journal. She also has a good sense of style – she’s like a cross between M.I.A and Effy Stonem from the UKTV show Skins.”

Soleil takes her time completing projects, breaking to finish assignments for STATUS, where she’s been working as a graphic designer for the past six months, and to gather inspiration when she finds herself in a lull. A regurgitation of her own ever-evolving thoughts, moods, and muses, her finished product doesn’t usually look exactly the way she planned. “I always have a vision of how it will end up, but of course along the way I change some little details or add something,” she explains. “[If ] I see something new and good, I get inspired from that and apply it to the work I’m doing.”

As Creative Media Director of STATUS, Patrick Jamora knew Soleil was worth her salt from the moment he laid eyes on her sample works. “I remember informing the Human Resources department to do everything they [could] in order to get Soleil signed before someone else does,” says Jamora, 26.

“In between her tasks, I usually see her sketching up some awesome illustrations in her black journal. She also has a good sense of style – she’s like a cross between M.I.A. and Effy Stonem from the UKTV show Skins.”

Soleil recently collaborated with artist Kris Abrigo on an illustration for the background of a fashion editorial featured in the December 2010 issue of Filipino fashion magazine Mega.

James Jean, she says, inspired the illustration. “Soleil is our own James Jean,” says Mega’s fashion stylist Eldzs Mejia. “She has her own style of sketching and illustrating. I love Soleil’s hand strokes—it’s very fluid! She’s really an artist to look out for.”

Balancing a full-time day job and side projects and constantly creating new works in her delightfully disorganized hub doesn’t leave time for much else, and Soleil plans to keep her job at STATUS for the foreseeable future. One day she might go on to work for a design studio in the Philippines, or further her knowledge of illustration and graphic design at the School of Visual Arts in New York. “Whatever happens,” she says, “my jobs will always be related to art.”

Gemini

photo by BJ Pascual

photo by BJ Pascual

photo by Drew Bienemann

B.TRAITS

I’m catching up with a young woman on the verge of music stardom... Last time we saw each other was at a hot-n-sweaty LA massive, and now we get to Skype with ONE another -- her shivering in London and me in colder-than-usual Oakland.

Prepare to be inspired. Ladies and gentlemen: the original digital soundgirl, B.Traits.

interview by Audio Angel

Tell me about yourself, using colors only.

playlist! We’re all pretty excited about that.

Does your music reflect the other sides of you?

[Laughs] Right now? – Right now? – hmm... maybe fluorescent teal, greenish blue.

So great! Ok, can you describe your style?

Yes, the darker downtempo stuff, represents my emotionally strained side. [Laughs]

Is that because you're cold?

[Laughs] Bright purple or pink… or a rainbow!

Ok, why are you a rainbow?

I'm just really happy. Life’s pretty good right now. It’s Christmas, c'mon!

So how are you spending this holiday?

Well, it's my first Christmas abroad and away from my family. I'll probably spend most of my time in the studio with Shy and Breakage. Oh, and I’ve been invited to Shy’s mom's place for Christmas dinner.

That's really sweet. It sounds like they are taking care of you!

Yeah, they are like family.

I can’t say it’s one kind of sound at all. I’m making anything from 90 bpm up to 180 bpm, and everything in between. Lots of electronic music, some dnb, dubstep, electro, house and my fair share of what I call “grown up music” – stuff I think my mom would dig... downtempo, sort of soul. And there's some latiny bits, some alternative style sounds. It’s rather hard for me to explain. Don’t have a niche quite yet.

I'm growing as a person, and in the type of music I like. Now I'm not only making dnb, but also trying all different sorts of music. Creating and testing a little bit of everything.

Cool! I’m a big fan of that. It’s music, just listen to it.

So, how did you get your name? B.Traits?

Oh well, I’ve been told I look reasonably young. When I was 16, my friend Mike said "you have so many baby traits – you're like a child, you have so many baby features." So there you go… not many people know that.

Well I think you're always going to look young in comparison to who you're working with!

Haha! I hope so… Moisturize!

How do you describe what you do to strangers?

I say, I'm a disc jockey, and I make music.

I move pixels around in a digital computer program to make a beat. Even when I talk to my mom about it, she's still like, "what?"

Do you have any training in music?

Speaking of the family vibe, let's talk about the "Raver" video. Seems like a really "together and inclusive" vibe.

Everyone in the Digital Soundboy crew is all really, really tight. I think we have a very friendly family vibe and people want to be a part of it!

Awesome! What do you feel like your role is within the crew?

I've been a part of Digital Soundboy for three years now, and my role has changed over that time. At first I was brought on as a dnb producer and a DJ. But my vision has changed with what I want to do musically.

Especially in the past year. I'm growing as a person, and in the type of music I like. Now I'm not only making dnb, but also trying all different sorts of music. Creating and testing a little bit of everything.

What kind of stuff are you producing?

I can’t even describe one “kind”. I’m trying everything. 2011 is my big unveiling. It's been a long time coming. I wanted to have a lot of my own production solidly finished. I can’t wait really, I’m bubbling over right now, it's ridiculous!

That's awesome! Well along those lines, what is the last thing that made you jump up and down with excitement?

How recently?! Ask the camp! Breakage’s tune with Jess Mills “Fighting Fire” is on the Radio 1 48

Exactly. I don’t want to be known for making a certain type of music. That’s why I’ve taken a small step back from the dnb stuff. Whatever I’m feeling, I wanna run with it, create whatever feels right in my heart and mind.

Do you sing or rap, or plan to do any vocals on your tracks?

Not yet! But possibly in the future. I want to try any kind of creative outlet!

Would you call your music dance music?

Definitely, most of it. Some of it is chillin', listening music as well. Whenever I make a track I have a picture in my mind of what I would do, while listening to the track, as if it wasn't my own.

So you are a Gemini?

Yes. I believe so.. With all the talk about the “wobble” of the Earth I’m not entirely sure.

Do you feel like that there's a whole other side of you that people rarely see?

Certainly, it's probably my dark side... It doesn't come out very often.

Yeah, you seem like a pretty bright, shiny lady.

I generally am, I think I generally have a pretty positive outlook on life. But I can get dark sometimes. But yeah, I have nothing really to be dark about right now.

Not really. Over the past year or so I've learned to play the piano by ear, its kind of crazy. I always loved the thought of being classically trained, but for what I do it was easier for me to learn keyboard without learning to read music.

Does the live show thing interest you?

Definitely. I’m not sure if anything will change for me, performance wise, this year but I definitely plan to have a bigger live show. I don't want to just deejay for an hour or so. I want people to enjoy a full performance experience.

You were going to be a dancer at one point.

What changed? Where was the turning point?

Shortly after I moved from Nelson to Vancouver, to pursue dance, I was in a record shop and I met some local deejays there. I started going out to all the dnb nights, and I felt like I fit in really well. And at that point the music was really thriving. I felt overly passionate about it, and ended up just skipping dance class and deejaying full time.

Wow, so it was kind of conscious decision to change passions.

It all just kind of fell into place. I still dance now, occasionally. I came to a point where I could see music as a career and decided to take it more seriously. It's cool, I never thought about it that way until I moved to Vancouver. And it just felt right. I'm all about that, just letting it happen.

photo by Quana Parker

Definitely works for artists. We have to trust it.

Just let the universe take over.

What's the 2011 plan?

Definitely want to call London my home.

There I feel like I belong. Everyone has seemed to welcome me and my sound with open arms.

That's awesome. What do you love about it?

The energy, the pace – it's incredible! You can go out every night of the week and be inspired, hear new music you've never heard before!

Just do what's in your heart and do the best you can. You're gonna get respect for it. People are gonna just love your music.

Right on. What are the three things inspiring you right now? Food, people, music, etc?

Short films and photography. Energy in general. The gigs out here are incredible – especially because I play a lot of my own stuff now, and I've never been able to do that. And it's just the most amazing feeling ever! Just vibing off people. Musically, I'm really into live sounds, steel drums, and marching band type of sounds. I used a lot in the remix I did for Shy FX’s "Raver.”

So, why do you think you were chosen for Digital Soundboy, in your own words? Was there a moment when Shy offered it to you and it just made sense?

Well, the second he asked me to be a part of Digital Soundboy, I thought, "Woah, that's totally where I belong!" It's weird. When he first created DSB, I had thought it was the best label. I absolutely loved the music they were putting out. It was just me! I’d play that stuff all day.

I’d always wanted to produce, but I never had an opportunity to really run with it. When Kay and I were on DJ SS’s label Formation Records, I was there mostly to be Kay's DJ. It was totally awesome, and we had a ridiculous amount of fun, but for me, to take my music career to the next level, I wanted to produce, and there wasn't much room for me to grow as a producer on Formation.

Shy was on the World of Drum & Bass tour with us in 2007. And he would come 50

to the gigs early to hear Kay + I play as LTC. He commented on my style and stage presence and said I was a breath of fresh air compared to the other dudes on stage looking moody. He was really into the energy I brought. After tour, I sent Shy some beats and a few weeks later we were discussing my future and what I wanted to do musically. Shy wanted to help me.

Do you feel encouraged to bring more digital sound girls into the crew?

Hell yeah! We’ve just signed another one actually! Katy Shotter, the newest member of Attacca Pesante – DSB’s funk/soul/ house/pop/hip hop group. Their sound is so different! I swear they're creating a new kind of genre of music!

Cool! Why do you think it matters to have women involved in electronic music?

stopped myself and thought "who cares what people think! Just do what you want!"

It definitely gets scary sometimes, and I believe every artist doubts themselves.

I think that's normal. The day I stop questioning certain things or doubting myself is the day I may actually quit music.

'Cause the second you become overly confident is when you fail. You always want to be testing the waters. Doing something new, to yourself and the world, which you're kind of unsure of. That's how you make history I think.

I'd much rather be on my own, nerding out in the studio. If I didn't have to deal with people, that'd be great. Would be the perfect job.

I definitely don't think there are enough women right now. I'd love there to be more women, to even the stakes a little bit. I think we can do stuff as well as boys, so I don't see why we have to be discouraged in any way. In my position right now, I'm totally welcomed, I'm just one of the dudes!

[Laughs] I just hope I inspire lots of other girls to just do what feels right. Don't get caught up that you have to do stuff to prove to the boys that you can be a certain way.

Just do what's in your heart and do the best you can. You're gonna get respect for it.

People are gonna love your music.

Wow! That's pretty bold! Never thought about it like that...

Yeah, just do what your heart feels right. If you like it, someone else is gonna like it!

Music all day. I feel like I'm sort of socially awkward. I don't know why. When I’m out I’m pretty happy and bubbly, doing the social thing is important in this industry. But, I'd much rather be on my own, nerding out in the studio. If I didn't have to deal with people, that'd be great. Would be the perfect job. [Laughs]

It definitely gets scary sometimes, and I Believe every artist doubts themselves. I think that's normal.

Do you feel your gender makes an impact on your success?

I don't know... it depends... Maybe I get attention because I'm a girl, but I have to work twice as hard to gain respect from that attention. It kind of evens itself out. It's definitely helped and definitely discouraged me at times.

If you do the same thing all the time and stay safe, you're just going to flatline. You gotta make some waves and stir up the pot once in a while, keep everyone on their toes.

I always think about that with my DJ sets too, I always want to play new mixes that make me nervous, that give me butterflies.

It's an awesome adrenaline rush.

Fascinating. Would you rather work with music or with people?

What changes would you make in the dance music scene, if you were the big boss?

I would maybe change the amount of control that major labels have over the future of music. Big labels know what's coming next. They mold what's going to be hot in the next year. If they would just stop that and let it happen naturally, so much more underground music would get daytime play.

Although everything is changing now, so maybe all my wishful thinking has helped!

Have you ever thought about stopping?

Do you enjoy any pop?

No! Never! Quit music!?... It may have crossed my mind once. When that DOA thread went up I was like "What? What IS this? I don't want any hand in this." Then

Some… this could get me in trouble. Some stuff out there sure, it's really catchy… other stuff I’m like, “What were they thinking!?”

photo by Tyler Simpson

So you wouldn't work with Will I am?

Hmm... probably not. I’d be totally flattered if I had the offer, but I don’t even know if I could get my brain in that kind of space. I do believe he’s made some great music, it’s just not my cup of tea. Nope. It would be cool to work with Dre, Premier, or Dilla, if he were still alive... I like the thought of working with artists who have done or are doing something different. I really dig Janelle Monae’s stuff. And I’m looking forward to hearing more from Jamie Woon and Jai Paul this year.

Everything revolves around the studio right now, and that's really what I came here to do.

I can’t wait to go back to Asia, hopefully get to spend some time in Japan.

I’m also looking forward to doing the summer festivals here in the UK. Sounds like your handling a lot of energy and growth rapidly – how do you do it?

My family back in Canada is amazing and supports me 100%. I get a lot of support from Shy and James, they're like my family. We all get to help each other grow.

Any suggestions to up-and-coming DJs? Practice! Always be true to yourself and do what feels right!

So right now, what's a perfect day for you?

Do you still practice?

Wake up around noon, gym, home, studio by 4 pm and stay till about 3 am, then go home and to bed around 4, then get up and do it again. 2011 – what I want to do everyday...

Yeah – that's probably my ideal night off!

Ok, so what's a perfect day off then?

Amazing!!! The sound system so bumping. I was shaking for the majority of it, but I freaking love the butterflies. It was a great experience for me and I can’t wait to perform there again.

Golly! Everything revolves around the studio right now, and that's really what I came here to do. Maybe do some shopping for once, do the girly thing and get my nails did. That would make me happy! I actually had a day off yesterday and was able to finally get my Christmas tree up and bake some cookies! But that wasn't an ideal day for me! I have the best job in the world really, I love being in the studio.

How was playing Fabric?

Any Big Up's?

Digital Soundboy. My family.

Last question! What's your ultimate vision?

First Vinyl?

Dillinja “Live or Die” – one producer I miss so much.

Where are you looking forward to playing this year?

Oh God, It's so much! It depends on what happens this upcoming year. It's a huge vision, I can't even say, until the picture is complete, I can't say anything really. But it's BIG! Oh God, it's emotional for me, gonna be awesome, when I'm finally able to announce it.

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Little Match Girl

born, -raised, and -based artist, food-lover, and alien dreamer.

Her illustrations are driven by fun, cute characters stuck in a nostalgic atmosphere of vintage cartoons, carrying the veil of very personal, sometimes introspective, sometimes hopeful emotions.

Having previously worked as a character designer for some unknown animation and games studios, she is currently crossing over to the full-time freelance illustration world. She is very good at it, even though she doesn't know it yet.

interview by yuan Zhou

PIGOLOGIST

Diana Goh a.k.a. Pigologist is a Singapore-

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Crowded

Did you have any dreams last night?

What project are you working on?

Haha... Is this a real question? I only had three hours of sleep, actually. I guess I didn’t sleep enough to have a dream.

It’s a digital glass mural illustration for a Turkish design studio called Dreambox.

How long have you been illustrating?

How come you slept so little?

I’m rushing to finish off a project before I could leave for my vacation to Hong Kong.

I started as a full-time illustrator just recently. I used to design characters for animation on TV and online games. I also went to school for animation here in Singapore.

I’m only starting out now. I watched many of the online illustrators, and followed their footsteps. Started a website with my portfolio, emailed work samples, and signed myself up for many freelance networks. I just signed up for hireanillustrator.com. Hopefully I will land some jobs!

Tell me what makes you want to draw a certain thing and how you feel about your finished work.

So you woke up just for this interview...

Yes. That, and for my chee chiong fan [a Chinese dish]. Yum! 54

So now that you are a full time illustrator, how do you manage your freelance business, like getting clients?

My illustrations are often characterdriven. Inspiration comes from people around me: people I know, as well as

I hope to save up enough money for a Power Macbook and work while backpacking one day.

Are you from an artistic family?

My father used to be a photographer and he does photo enlargements now. By the time this is published he will probably be retired. And my sister is a dance instructor.

Before becoming full time illustrator, what other jobs have you had?

Before this I was working as a senior production designer at an animation company, doing character designs for TV animations.

Later on I turned full-time freelancing, taking up children’s book illustrations and Facebook games design. I was offered to teach concept design at a local school. But I feel my heart is with illustrations, so I only tried teaching for one semester and here I am learning how to be an illustrator.

Dreambox Logo Installation

Mais Pequeno

strangers. Also films, music, books... When I feel strongly about a certain idea, I want to tell it through my illustrations. So I create a character, and add a story into the piece. How I feel about finished work... Proud of it? Sometimes after awhile, I’ll feel indifferently about my old art works. But I still like the majority of them.

What are designer trends in Singapore?

I feel I’m not in the position to speak for what’s the trend over here.

I’m not a veteran. I’m still young!

And modest! Have you thought about moving somewhere else?

You are not the first one to ask that! I would say yes, be I not faithful enough to my country. I would love to retire outside the city. I used to think that the grass is greener on the other side, but now with the internet, I seem to get freelance projects from overseas. So it doesn’t matter where I am. I hope to save up enough money for a Power Macbook and work while backpacking one day. I would love to go back to Laos. It’s so laid back and beautiful. I should also visit San Francisco one day. I love traveling! It is refreshing.

Sometimes after awhile, I’ll feel indifferently about my old art works.

But I still like the majority of them.

You should! It is a very beautiful and romantic city. Have you made any resolutions for the new year?

I can’t recall when was the last time I had one. What’s the point?

I do want to buy an air ticket. But where? I don't know yet.

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Music Connects People

Unplug

DONAE'O 58

The most striking thing when speaking to Donae’o, producer and Vocalist of Digital SoundBoy fame, is his level head. His even keeled nature is apparent when performing and, ultimately, has been the key to his success. He has carved out his own path through underground music and is a self-made musician.

DONAE'O 's critically acclaimed music is diverse while remaining firmly directed toward the dance floor. With a full-length album on the way, of which he produced 99%, Donae’o is set to ignite the underground with his eclectic brand of dance music.

interview by Ben Daniels

More hard work, a little bit of luck, a little bit of humbleness, and a little bit of patience.

Let's jump right in. How would you describe your role in the Digital Soundboy crew?

My role within Digital Soundboy would probably be dual. In the foreground I'm an artist – Donae'o – and in the background, I kinda help with exposing other artists and produce for other artists as well.

Brilliant. What kind of musical training have you had?

To be honest, I don’t really have much training when it comes to producing. The only training I really have is constantly listening to music and analyzing it. And when it comes to performing, practice makes perfect. I perform two or three times every week and I've been doing it for ten years.

I've really been self-taught. I would like to learn to play the piano and guitar, and I’m probably gonna take up a course in engineering. But so far, it's just been trial and error.

It's amazing that it has gotten you as far as it has. Would you say it's been a bit of luck as well?

I think luck comes with hard work. If you are willing to work hard, then you will definitely get good luck. There’s no doubt about that. More hard work, a little bit of luck, a little bit of humbleness, and a little bit of patience.

59

What is it that drives you ultimately as an artist?

Other artists, actually. That’s the main thing. That’s why I really got into it. I don’t think people realize how much other people influence them. I remember when I was six, that was when hip hop was just starting, my dad put in a tape of KRS-One and Kool Moe Dee and that was the day I made up my mind that I was gonna make my own music.

More hard work, a little bit of luck, a little bit of humbleness, and a little bit of patience.

Personally, I’m most inspired when I’m listening to my Walkman or iPod on a regular basis. Always searching for new music, deejaying, buying new albums, and listening to what’s out there... It's all important, because I don’t think I could make music without listening to other people's music.

So how would you describe your style?

I would say I make dance music. I make quick-tempo English dance music. What I mean by that is a lot of stuff I make has been influenced by either jungle or garage, stuff that has been created in the UK, with a mixture of other things around it to benefit that sound.

I think, essentially, the music that I make starts with the music that I listen to.

I just want to put it out there, as an American, I love English music. It's got that special breed of sound that's hard to find anywhere else.

Thanks! Yeah, it's weird, in England we get a mixture of everything. Say, for instance, we're heavily influence by Drake over here, but we also are influenced by something like Diplo ("Pon De Floor" was a massive track)... England’s like a melting pot.

There's no one here who is really into one thing. Everyone’s into a mixture of everything. And because we get the best of everything, it's hard to not be involved in it. And I think, essentially, the music that I make starts with the music that I listen to.

Who are some of the artists that you rate highly, and who you would like to work with in the future?

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I’m really feeling Drake. A lot of honesty in his music. I’ve never heard an artist like that. To be honest, I’m not a person that always gets it. Even though I love rap, a lot of it I can’t relate to. But I can always relate to Drake. He raps about things I can understand, in ways that I can respect, because I love rap.

Lil Wayne! I got nuff love for Lil Wayne.

A lot of rappers nowadays just open their mouths and make a rhyme, but Lil Wayne understands what it means to be a rapper. But a lot of times (and I get that with Eminem) most of these guys just put words together, find a good beat, and book a press party...

You have to be in control of what you do, if you are an underground artist, or you're gonna be taken by the wayside.

was coming from. The music industry is not easy to get into. It's not even like I’m a commercial artist. I’m an underground artist. There’s no rule book for what we do.

You have to be in control of what you do, if you are an underground artist, or you're gonna be taken by the wayside. To even know there is a world on the underground, and not the commercial, you have to search for it, and that is a sign of hard work... But I'm doing alright.

So we hear there's some silliness going on in the Digital Soundboy headquarters. Mr. Breakage let us in on some jokes. Is there anything you could safely share as well?

[Laughs] Oh, boy! You’d have to be there!

It's one of those things... You’d have to be there, when we are cracking jokes. I might have to keep these things to myself. Family secret man!

You guys are tight though?

Shy FX, Big Nasty, Hoodman, these are English artists I’m really into at the moment. And I can’t wait for D’Angelo to come out with a new project! He’s taking a piss right now.

Yeah, it's more like a family... It is. I think that's how Shy wanted it to be. I don't think he wanted it to be business oriented.

Yea, it's been a little bit disappointing, that we haven't heard anything from him lately.

He called me up one day, after he heard "Party Hard," and he was like, “Is this Donae'o? It's Shy FX. I really like your music, I think it's cool." I wanted to scream, obviously. I mean, when Shy FX calls you up to tell you he likes your music, you must be doing something right.

'Cause he's the originator, he's one of the first in the whole mutation of the jungle movement.

I think when that whole movement was started, he was the first, so they thought he was gonna be something big. They probably put a lot of money into him thinking he was gonna make millions. And from what I hear, I don’t think D’Angelo is a businessman either. So maybe the industry wasn’t able to handle that fact.

I don’t know man... but if you were to ask me, “what are the two albums that influenced you the most in your life?” I would say Ready to Die and Brown Sugar.

Those albums are perfect. I’m not saying almost perfect, I’m saying PERFECT. From start to finish.

How did you get involved?

...when Shy FX calls you up to tell you he likes your music, you must be doing something right.

Yeah, I mean, "Original Nuttah"... Big tune till this day. Will never die.

I know. Your mom was a performer as well, was she not?

Never! Ever! There's no kick in that song, did you know that?! I couldn't believe it!

Yeah, yeah, Lindy Murphy. She was touring around Europe and stuff like that. My mom was not into me making music, to be honest. She was not too fond of the idea.

[Pauses] She was not fond of the idea at all. Now, it's a different story. With a son that makes music and a little bit of money, mom gets loads of privilege.

And then to add insult to injury he decided to put the "Bambaataa" beat behind it. That just killed it!

To be honest, I understand where she

I think that was a perfect move.

Your top tunes at the moment?

"What's My Name" by Rihanna and "Keep It 100" by Tank.

Oh man, wait! "6 Foot 7 Foot" by Lil Wayne. He is niffy, man! He destroys it. The lyrics are too much!

That's my top tune!

What advice would you give to young MCs, producers, etc?

There is loads of advice. Get a job. No, I am being serious. Otherwise you are going to be broke.

There's this misconception that if you have a job you are going to miss out on opportunities. I've been there. That's a lazy man's game. Really. At the end of the day if you want an opportunity you are going to make opportunity happen. But you need to have a clear head, you need money. At the end of the day, most of the opportunities for music happen at night, never during the day. Because everyone else who's successful in music is working during the day. So get a job. Keep some stability in your life, so when you're making a decision, it's not about money. That's what I would suggest.

Oh wow! Well, we'll be looking forward to hearing it then.

Thanks, man! Get my first album Party Hard. And I am going to be putting out a monthly mixtape for free download. So follow me on twitter @Donaeo to cop that. Or connect on my Facebook page. Peace!

There's this misconception that if you have a job you are going to miss out on opportunities. I've been there.

That's a lazy man's game. Really. At the end of the day if you want an opportunity you are going to make opportunity happen.

get a job. Keep some stability in your life, so when your making a decision, it's not about money.

If you don't enjoy your job, it's a struggle, I understand. But the first thing to do is be stable.

'Cause the music industry is stable, but it takes time to get to that point.

You're a human being. Once you become an adult money is a necessity, like breathing air. If you don't have things in place for your mind to work properly, you make silly decisions.

I think there are loads of ways to make money. You can do it, it's possible, it just takes time. There are many people in your position that have to do illegal things to make that extra money on the side to make a living. If you make a little money by being an MC, god bless. But if you're gonna hustle a bit on the side, they're going to put you in jail.

Do you see lots of people in the scene getting in trouble, trying to make it without having a job?

It's the way life is. Where there is poverty, there is going to be some criminal action. It's just the way of life. Some people do it out of necessity, some people do it out of laziness.

What's next for you?

I'm going to release my album. It's already finished.

Only thing I can say is that I produced 99.9% of the music on it.

photo by Tim & Barry

Anything you can tell us about the album? Anyone you worked with?

BIGUP YOURLABEL

Just within three years of their existence The Night Slugs Label, pioneered by L-Vis 1990 and Bok Bok, has become one of the most break through record labels in club music with its definitive sound, which they can safely call their own, despite the many imitators.

With a record label, a show on rinse FM every other week, multiple club events, a blog, and numerous producers in the family, it looks like Night Slugs is becoming a whole kingdom, where citizens are bathed in bass, follow a strict synth diet, and sleep to the sounds of the airhorns.

Alex "Bok Bok" Sushon gracefully loaned us some of his precious time to chat about the concept of the label, his favorite vermicelli, and even share a cell-phone photo of his turntable set up.

Where did the Night Slugs label idea come from? I want to hear about the defining moment, if you could pinpoint it.

There really was no specific moment when we came up with the idea. L-Vis and I really started talking about doing a Slugs label when certain tracks of our friends, that we had tried and tested in clubs, mixtapes etc and had been supporting for months, weren't getting picked up by other labels. We thought it was weird, but also it was obvious that our scene needed some kind of new platform, and that we were creating our own little niche.

It just became obvious, so the idea for the label grew organically out of our DJ sets and ours and our friends' productions. Which I feel is the best way for it to have happened!

Right, so you were the very first label to combine the influences and almost created a whole scene of music. How do you feel about other people and labels jumping on the train now and somewhat imitating what you're doing?

I wouldn't say we created our own scene.

I rather see us as part of a wider extended family of like-minded artists and labels, and that network is really important. We're

definitely trying to build on the heritage that inspired us to do this in the first place, so hopefully we can find a place in the history of house music and wider riddim culture...

The sole motivation for it is putting out music that we love and contributing to the culture that fed us, and deejaying out. That's where the satisfaction comes from.

I see us as part of a wider extended family of like-minded artists and labels, and that network is really important.

To move into the mainstream where you can make $10K a night in Las Vegas, etc. you have to make music that clubs can sell bottle service to. Do you think that Night Slugs will move in that direction?

But yeah the imitators. I've noticed it a little bit lately, and It doesn't feel great, to be honest, but I try not to pay too much attention. The problem is people will try to imitate the surface of what they are hearing, rather than delving deeper and trying to figure out what may have caused our tracks to sound the way they do. And because all of us have an individual and personal approach to production and each producer has their own style, what unites us is a shared vibe and understanding of context. Those things are difficult to imitate and I think most people fail at it. People need to find their own way!

What's the ultimate motivation behind running Night Slugs? At what point do you get your reward, your satisfaction?

I don't think in those terms. It's all club music to me and if things go that way then that's cool with me. It really depends on what tracks people want to make and what we decide to put out in the future, but we won't ever do anything that doesn't feel right. But I guess part of our mission is definitely to sneak a wider array of feelings and textures into unsuspecting clubs worldwide.

The problem is people will try to imitate the surface of what they are hearing, rather than delving deeper and trying to figure out what may have caused our tracks to sound the way they do.

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at Bok Bok's DJ lab

Don't follow trends, be original, be honest with yourself, use your ears and find your own way!

But if Night Slugs were to sign one of the mainstream artists, that's out there right now, who would it be?

If one of us strongly wanted to veto something, then it wouldn't happen for sure. I can't really see this becoming an issue in the future...

I would love to commission The-Dream & Tricky Stewart to write something or coproduce something for us. In my dreams! I'd love to one day hear Ciara on one of our tracks.

If you were to name an ultimate Night Slugs anthem, what would it be?

Do you find that after creating a label and having to evaluate other people's music, your approach to producing changed in any way?

It hasn't made it any easier to work on my own stuff, admitedly! Mainly that's because listening to other music all the time and doing label stuff breaks my concentration and can put me out of focus on my own work.

That's something I'm going to deal with this year though.

There's a few for slightly different occasions – "IRL," "Wut," "Forever You," "Fogs," "Ecstasy Refix," "Seasons." I guess for me it's "IRL," but that's just my personal DJ choice!

It really depends on what tracks people want to make and what we decide to put out in the future, but we won't ever do anything that doesn't feel right.

What other labels do you look up to?

Do you and L-Vis ever get into arguments about the choice of tracks you're releasing?

This kind of thing is yet to happen. Every move we've made so far has just felt right to both of us. We discuss things very openly.

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There are so many. Our peers who are killing it right now – people like Hessle, Swamp 81, 502, Numbers. Historically for me it's labels like Hyperdub, DUMPvalve (Geeneus' label from the '00s), and Locked On, Trax,

Dancemania... so many others.

Name one song, that's not on Night Slugs, that you wish you could have signed.

"The Bitch" by Altered Natives! Hi, Martyn : ) [Out on 3024] If Night Slugs label was a meal, what would it be?

That's a really hard question! Maybe a personal favorite, a Vietnamese rice vermicelli dish because it's both fresh and refreshing, but also has substance and lots of rich flavour!

Any advice for young producers sending you music?

Don't follow trends, be original, be honest with yourself, use your ears and find your own way!

Who would you like to Big Up? Everyone who's going hard right about now – go hard or go home !

MUSIC REVIEWS

Kode9 & The Spaceape – Black Sun [Hyperdub] In the seventh year since the induction of Sine Of The Dub, a forshadowing of the Hyperdub empire, approaches the second long-player from the magistrate of permutations of all things sub and bass, Kode9, accompanied by his partner in grime, The Spaceape. Its title: Black Sun, due for dispersal in April 2011. As if blown from the center of a supernova, along with the once nucleic center of sound-crafters surrounding the birth of a sound called dubstep, have expanded into their own respective spaces and thus continue their pursuit of a unique atmospheric ambience, each their own manifestation of sonic evolution. This has not been made clearer than in the case of Kode9 and Hyperdub, who have over the years displayed a metamorphic growth, needlessly dispelling passing imitators with its consistent diversity. With Black Sun, it is as if the music’s aura plays shadowboxing with an antithetical adversary, of a Sun from the other side, as Spaceape’s lyric urges, “we need to find the enemy…”

Wasting no time on introductions, Black Sun bursts through a cloud of smoke into an otherworldly soundscape of subterranean vibrations and analog electronic synesthesia. The percussion is crisp and rhythmic, deliberate and calculated, often tapping into the recent schizothemia for Roland’s foundational drum machines. Add to this the return of lyricist Spaceape’s arcane subliminal subjugation, and the presence of symbiotic synergy is undeniable.

Stylistically, it stands as a transgenic

hybrid, fusing elements and tempos floating between nodes of dubstep, grimey funk, and cosmic electronica into a unique blend of arcane tribal-futurism.

It traverses an invisible landscape of uncertain terrain; the listener has no choice but to trust the conductor of such an apparatus, making a journey with a certain suspension of temporal distance, into temporary dissonance, resurfaced by harmonic scintillation, harnessed by Spaceape’s subfocal suggestion. Making an entrance on this album is also Chinese emcee Cha Cha, lending her own style to the album’s mesomorphic nature. The result is on the whole remarkably effective and inspiring of movement. Closing out the album is “Kryon”, a collaboration with Flying Lotus that resounds with an alien tinge, echoing with a distant Spaceape: a beatless descent that tickles the dendrites, offering a glimpse into the vast panorama of possibility that awaits in the yet to be imagined.

Certainly unique, and at times simply weird, Black Sun is for the imaginative listener, the explorative dancer. Its progression from their debut album in 2006 is provocative and impressive; it manages to maintain its own identity and displays a personal transformation, the vital core remaining unsullied by the wear and tear of temporal and cultural propagation. The development is only natural: artesian, as if a foundation were lain to allow it. Whether or not this is the case in reality, it is the reason it captivates us. words by Alex incyde

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Siriusmo – Mosaik [Monkeytown Records] Sirusmo's Mosaik takes the listener on a refreshing 60 minute journey with influences ranging from early Detroit techno, hip hop, disco, soul, and dubstep; simultaneously reaching into the past while abstracting for the future. I recommend you stick this on, get comfy, and enjoy.

"High Together," the first track on the CD release, is a bass-driven dancefloor bumper and the closest you'll find to a conventional house track. "Feromonikon" is also a late night banger, keeping up the pace and cranking it a little harder. "Sirimande" really shows off Sirusmo's talent by pushing it further and even manages to fit in an Ibizainspired hands-in-the-air break, just to keep you scratching your head... in a good way.

beats. "Einmal in der Woche schreien" is a delicious slice of new romantic Euro-pop and the ridiculously funky "Good Idea" will have discerning music lovers everywhere going nuts. "Nights Off" with its appreggiated bassline maintains the quality, and "Feed My Meatmachine" complements what has gone before, with a sound both hard and soulful.

The introspective "Red Knob," the last track, is the perfect finish to the album.

Berlin producer Sirusmo (aka Moritz Friedrich) packs his debut on Modselektor's Monkeytown Records with the wonderful and the weird, creating an electronic collage that will make this one of the most played albums of 2011.

Other tracks that had me bobbing my head are the monster that is "Mosaik" and the unnervingly good "Bad Idea," with its heart palpitation-inducing vocal and dubstep

words by Martin Collins

Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam [Brownswood] Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam, Ghostpoet's debut album, has all the right ingredients for reflective midnight drive on the highway. It's an album full of melancholy, distance and his tired and haunting raps, which at times fall seemingly with a tinge of regretfulness and longing.

Being musically diverse is a challenge for most artists, however the album feels incredibly well rounded upon a second listen. While listening, you'll realize that Ghostpoet's internal monologue feels like therapy across the music's landscape, and during his release you might find some as well.

Standout tracks like "Runrunrun" are reminiscent of the culture struggle and defiance of previous greats such as The Last Poets, Gil Scott Heron, and even more modern soothsayers like Saul Williams. Ghostpoet's lyrics reflect a contemporary consciousness and wisdom of the city living, the media, and even love.

It's an album for the car, driving alone to nowhere, when no one can interrupt the two of you.

The production ranges from nostalgic indy rock in tracks like "Liiines," to tasteful, sparse, and chilly future garage and dubstep.

words by Noah Bennett

Badawi – Axiom [The Agriculture]

Dark, industrial soundscapes greet listeners of Badawi’s The Axiom EP. A self-proclaimed “sound alchemist,” Raz Mesinai a.k.a. Badawi delivers five original productions doused with masterful percussion and ambiance alike. The alchemy begins with the feedback hum of the intro as if some monolithic Tesla coil is charging up to release a sonic lightning bolt. Released instead is the staggering beat of “Destroy All Prophets” after a synthetic voice informs you of Badawi’s mythical credentials. The introduction devolves into the spacious and stuttery title track “The Axiom” followed by Andy Stott’s extraordinary remix. In this remix the abstract nature of the original is preserved but augmented with lush kickdrums producing dance music for underwater cave explorers.

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Badawi continues the dance feel with the aptly named “More Of The Same,” a frenetic track driven by constantly mutating percussion. Relaxation comes in the form of “Crossfeeder” where percussion becomes more sparse and takes a back seat to melodic bleeps. Vaccine steps up for the second remix of “The Axiom” and pushes the original towards a noir autonomic sound with growly bass, halftime drums, and droning lead synths.

The EP closes with its most experimental track, the sub-bass and click-driven “Anlan 7.” Badawi’s latest is being released by Brooklyn’s The Agriculture and is definitely one to watch for. words by Stephen Floor

James Blake – James Blake [R&S Records]

We have a problem, guys. I can't listen to this album and write about it at the same time. It's either listen to it or write about it. I can't seem to do both, I just want to devote my headspace to it, listen without thinking, and just let it sink in...

James Blake's debut vocal album is music to listen to, music to feel, and music to explore. He wails, like a soul singer twice his age, over each track and unlike his other releases, this album features lyrics and vocals on each song by Blake. An incredible young singer with an ageless, if not timeless, voice, he has somehow championed his own style amidst hundreds of singer-songwriters and electronic artists. Autotuned, manipulated, layered, and at times strange, it's always soulful, beautiful, and gentle. His music has a sense of loss that is beyond words – an

expression of self, that bares its teeth at times, yet never alienates the listener. On stand out tracks "I Never Learnt To Share" and "Wilhelm's Scream" the music builds to break into an explosion of harmonic brilliance, a release of gorgeous sounds, textures and voiced lyrics. Future classics like the Feist cover "Limit To Your Love" are crossover hits, suitable for almost any audience, introducing them to new garage and future music.

James Blake defies genre and has a distinctly contemporary sound, unmatched by any producer in the world. In my humble opinion, this highly anticipated album will serve as a benchmark for other producers, will influence, and will no doubt be imitated.

words by Noah Bennett

Sepalcure – Fleur [Hotflush] Late 2009. Praveen Sharma and I are shooting the shit via IM, trading Dropbox links and he’s giving me the rundown on what’s going on in NYC bass-wise. FaltyDL’s been churning out some epic twelves, and a guy named Dave Q’s been doing great things with a local night called Dub War. Praveen’s just finished up a collaboration with Portland’s Benoit Pioulard/Thomas Meluch and exclaims excitedly, "I totally got Thom hooked on Mount Kimbie this weekend!" There’s much talk of Synkro, iTAL tEK, DFRNT and Pangaea, particularly that killer plate "You & I/ Router" that came out on Hessle a while back.

Lovestep seems the most apt way to describe this melodic, lovestruck postgarage sound that we’re fawning over via IM session, and it’s a term I could swear Praveen just made up on the fly.

Fast-forward to 2011. Sepalcure is the joint effort of Praveen and buddy Travis Stewart (you’d know him better as Machine Drum), and together they’ve created the defining sound of lovestep, one that’s garnered immediate affection by anyone who’s ever had a religious moment with a Burial record or understood the notion of "heartbreak on the dancefloor."

While the two have been busy honing their own sounds for many years (Praveen’s a melody-driven array of acoustic instruments, analog synths and homemade vocals; Travis’ a heady amalgam of beats running

the electronic gamut), together as Sepalcure they’ve arrived at a place that sounds to be the natural convergence of their respective immense talents – indeed, they’re the first Americans signed to Berlin’s formidable Hotflush.

Fleur EP is an apt name for their second release – there’s a poignant elegance at work amidst the dense strata of noise, color and ecstatic feeling, one that Sepalcure commandeers with the pixel-precision of an engineer. This is timeless stuff, each track a fundamental part to the faceted, kaleidoscopic whole. "Your Love" serves as the heart of the record, where joyful, alternately lovelorn soul vocals bleed into delicate washes of pink static, underpinned by a beat that’d hold its own against Ikonika or the Night Slugs camp. "Fleur" is a more honed affair, a two-step stunner ablaze with vintage soul sensibility, all new romance, love at a distance, the flood after the drought. Setting the dials to the dancefloor is "No Think," a delicately ambling number that’d serve as a fine centerpiece in any one of Deadboy’s R'n'B-minded dj sets.

Meanwhile, "Inside" is straight up Tim Hecker, which is to say, all love and none of the step, heavyweight granular gorgeousness throughout.

words by Noele Lusano

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TRACK-BY-TRACK

Stateless – Matilda [Ninja Tune]

Stateless is back. It’s been nearly four years since the Leeds, England band delivered their debut, self-titled LP, a hodgepodge of sound owing as much to DJ Shadow as to Zero 7.

Matilda is somewhat of a departure for the band that seemed destined to live in the massive shadow cast by fellow Brits Radiohead and Coldplay. Elements of those two bands are evident on this new release (think Radiohead’s glitchier side paired with the sheer pop force of Coldplay); however, the band has certainly matured, blending influences from across the musical spectrum to deliver a truly dynamic record, one that is nearly theatrical in its grandiosity and ambition.

“Curtain Call,” Matilda’s opening track, seems to float in from some distant place inside your mind. The track’s intro consists of a slow, sludgy build, punctuated every now and again

by Chris James’ roping, sinewy guitar lines. The extended fade-in creates a mood of foreboding ambience, simultaneously lulling the listener into the bliss and preparing them for the inevitable reality check that shatters the ethereal soundscape. The chorus snaps to attention and catapults us into a London club, the ambience gone, replaced with pulsating sub-bass and stuttering drums before the entire track becomes engulfed in white noise. A trumpet floats above the distorted ether, seemingly battling to stay alive as “Curtain Call” struggles to hold itself together and not buckle under its own ambitious weight.

“Curtain Call” is an essential piece to the puzzle that is Matilda. The opening track ushers in the mood of the record and acts as a microcosm for the musical statement that follows. Matilda, like “Curtain Call,” melds genres, pulsates with energy, and is abound with dynamic shifts. This type of ambition can be plagued with pitfalls, and at times, listening to the album feels like hitting shuffle on your iPod, or, in other instances, like walking the streets of a culturally diverse, music-centric city, one where your ear is bathed in an abundance of sounds and styles. When it succeeds, Stateless seems to effortlessly blend dubstep with Moroccan guitar lines, layering a pure pop vocal above it all as if

it were only natural. When they fail however, the result can be abrupt and a little abrasive. Lucky for us, Stateless succeeds more often than not.

“Ariel,” the album's first single, opens with a guitar riff reminiscent of North African folk music. The beat further helps establish this musical theme, albeit adding a healthy dose of dance to the mix. James’ vocals are pristine, sounding more indebted to modern R&B singers than Thom Yorke or Chris Martin.

“Ariel” seems like an obvious choice for a single with its dance-oriented rhythms and catchy chorus hooks, and it nicely follows the tense yet beautiful opener.

“Miles to Go” takes us back to the nether-space we were introduced to during the album’s intro.

The track is punctuated by an incessant snare drum reminiscent of Radiohead’s “Climbing Up the Walls.” “I still got miles to go before I sleep,” James croons over a minimal piano figure. There’s a longing in his voice suggestive of a desire to give into oblivion, a desire that, just like the songs on Matilda, shifts with each pounding blast from the kick drum.

“Visions,” the following track, is almost an extension of “Miles to Go.” Here Stateless brings its pop sensibilities and experimental tendencies to the table, creating a warped and glitchy R&B infused track. Again James makes references to sleep, this time focusing on the visions he has while dozing. This thematic element seems constant throughout the album and is beautifully complemented by the music, which is atmospheric and chaotic, experimental and pop-oriented; dynamic, like our own shape shifting dreams.

“Assassins,” the fifth track on the LP and the one slated to be Stateless’ next single release, is another genre-bender, but this time the elements are different. “You can’t stop whatever is around the corner,” James pleads over an exotic beat, evoking feelings of impending collapse, or the futility of trying to outrun one’s own future. The chorus finally explodes into a heavy riff that has more in common with alternative metal than dance music, before finally settling down and segueing into the calmer half of the record.

“Red Ocean” is a welcomed breather after the intense “Assassins.” It’s the only track lacking vocals, consisting instead of guitar, a fender Rhodes, and washes of white noise, creating mood rather than structured pop music. This is followed by “I’m on Fire,” a duet featuring a female vocalist. The most cinematic of all the tracks on Matilda, “I’m on Fire” feels like a twisted waltz that leads into a gradual build.

“Junior,” the penultimate track, is similar to “I’m on Fire,” in that it creates a distinct feeling; but rather than a night at the carnival, “Junior” feels like a eulogy with James cautioning: “You’re too young to die.”

Classical music creeps into the mix during “Song for the Outsider.” This track, like many others on Matilda, begins sparsely before building to a major crescendo. Unfortunately, the string-laden climax fails to deliver, though we must admire their apparent quest to meld as many genres and influences as possible into one LP. The standout tracks are the album's bookends, beginning with “Curtain Call” and ending with the epic “I Shall Not Complain.” The latter track is filled with different styles and sounds, ranging from Middle Eastern to ambient to pop. The track seems to float in and out before an acoustic drum kit (a rarity on this album) propels the rhythm forward, keeping a steady beat underneath the massive vocal harmonies of the chorus. The track finally fades out with a meditative, two minute a cappella.

The album's closing track is very reflexive of the opener – one contains an extended fade-in, the other, an extended fade-out. By the time it’s all finished it seems like a dream, a stirring of our subconscious, melding together every sound that’s ever slipped between our ears. At times harsh and pounding, and sometimes blissful and ambient... with Matilda, Stateless have turned their own eclectic influences and ambition into a something completely their own.

words by Sean Sanders

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx – We're New Here [XL/Young Turks]

“May you live in interesting times.” Or so goes the Chinese proverb/curse.

Economic collapse, environmental catastrophe, and a dangerous loss of humanity are our daily reality.

Naked profit motives are openly embraced with a blatant disregard for our collective health and safety. An emerging global surveillance Police State is engaged in open warfare on an entire population. These are indeed interesting times.

Jaime XX gets it. His new work We Are New Here is a breathtaking realization of the state of the world, and music’s potential to effect social change in the face of dire odds. Reworking Gil Scott Heron’s prophetic words and songs over intense soundscapes, Jamie’s newest album explores that transformative possibility. It is a homage to the poet of the revolution, sampling from all portions of Scott Heron’s career. His poems, musings and song are all used to provide a brief survey of the man’s work.

Scott Heron’s melismatic vocal stylings (the singing of a single syllable of text while moving

between several different notes in succession) is the perfect syncopated accompaniment to Jaime’s bass laden dance rhythms and complex layering.

Jamie uses this technique to particular effect in the song "My Cloud," where his haunting melodies overlap with Heron’s distinctive voice. As the poet rhetorically sings, ”Now you must wonder in the end: how everything got so turned around?” Jamie XX provides an emotive backdrop of driving beats and intertwining melodies that brings tears to my eyes. It’s a truly beautiful combination.

This album represents the transformative potential and future of music: the mad blending of genres and ideas, the speaking of political and social truths, the chance for change. The age of the microprocessor has brought with it the dueling forces of repression and emancipation. It’s our duty as musicians, writers, and thinkers to make a choice. words by Moises Tuchis

SUREFIRE SOUND NORTH AMERICAN TOUR APRIL 2011

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Tunnidge – Dark Skies/Tribe [DEEP MEDi Musik]

Cyrus – Decisions/Manhatten Blues [DEEP MEDi Musik] Cyrus releases two new hypnotic tunes on the DEEP MEDi catalogue. "Decisions" goes straight into a tantalizing beat, then builds into a sway that erupts into subtle but powerful sound, that bounces you back and forth. The track nears its climax, and as it is ready to explode, it takes you down into a dark vortex for a moment, then swings you back up for more.

Tunnidge is riding a wave after the "7 Breaths" release on Distance’s Chestplate label. This release only escalates him higher and higher.

"Dark Skies" fills the air with authority. A snare with an eerie echo opens the mood, as rhythmic high hats set you into a groove. A dark sample rolls off and sends chills, as it preps you for a journey into Tunnidge's mind. The tune drops and pushes your body into a perfect harmony of energy and curiosity. The sample slides in again, as you wonder what is around the corner. The claps and snares roll off with a delay that creates such solid end to this emotional thriller.

"Tribe" opens with an African chant, and you are transported to the jungle, where a fire is lit and a constant drumbeat surrounds you. A minimal groove fills the environment and piercingly beautiful strings enters. The drums beat speeds up and your heart begins to pump as it builds and lets you go as the chant enters and exits.

"Manhatten Blues" begins with a sexy airy feel, as it enters into a striking snare that slams through the intro. The bass that slides into this masterpiece carries high energy, mixed with all the pieces introduced. Just when you have the tune nailed down and it's taking you for a ride, a gorgeous switch of tropical percussion transforms the energy and pushes you further into the bass. Cyrus' craft shines on these two tunes and works perfectly for any mood whether you’re just relaxing at home or playing out to a crowd.

words by Afro Monk

words by Afro Monk

New For 2011 BAY AREA DUBSTEP Volume 3 //

ECHO WANDERER "Moving Through Dub" //

17 New tracks from the San Francisco Bay Area's hottest producers.

10 tracks of deep, dreamy dubstep and percussion heavy nu-dub.

CD's available worldwide and at all online retailers.

Evergreen, Landlord, Ruckspin, Danman, RSD, Dark Arx, Nucleus Roots – Righteous [Reggae Roast] Where did the DUB in dubstep go? The answer lies in the latest 12" from Reggae Roast [RR005]. The Righteous EP is poised to become an instant classic, featuring four distinct remixes from some of the UK's finest producers. This is a release to be revered by purists, tech-heads and steppers alike.

Evergreen, Landlord and Ruckspin join forces with Danman to provide the framework for the original. A huge reggae based anthem, which comes in with triumphantly charging horns, deep dubby bass, and a classic roots skank.

This monster is bound to inspire some "knees up buisness" on the dancefloor... ...While the minimal stylings of Nulcleus Roots' version emanate a thick green smoke.

Laid back vibes are the calling card for this sub heavy, true DUB. A warning to the listener: hearing "Righteous Dub" at high enough

volumes may turn your eyes red and send you running to the kitchen for munchies.

RSD picks up the pace with his "Dubstep Remix." Skanks are replaced by melodic guitar riffs and thumping bass donks, while upbeat rhythms set a solid foundation for this uplifting yet dark journey and provide further validation for Rob Smith's place in the annals of dubstep.

But the personal favorite version is Drak Arx' "Righteous Remix" with a minimal-tech-meets2-step-dub feel coupled with short stabby chords, blippy automated delays, and thick reverbs. This one sets the mood for a late night grooving to this 128 bpm wonder.

words by Puppy K

V.I.V.E.K – Pulse/Roots [DEEP MEDi Musik] DEEP MEDi Musik continues its exploration of deep quintessential sounds with its latest from V.I.V.E.K. Already well-established on the label with "Kulture" b/w "Meditation Rock" and the Feel It EP, V.I.V.E.K. expounds this with two tracks, distinctly pure dubstep in contrasting ways.

The A-side, “Pulse,” takes the stance of the release's "system tune." An intro built on atmospheres, telephone ringers, and EKG tones erupts into a deep wash of bass pulsation. Razor-sharp percussion carries “Pulse” along to the breakdown where the soundstage is lost in a slowly decaying haze of bit-reduction, contributing to the bleak futuristic feeling of the track. "Pulse," while welcome on the iPod, was clearly not written for it.

“Roots” holds the B-side of the release and not to be overlooked, confidently showcases V.I.V.E.K.’s take on the "eyes-down" aesthetic, which often is the hallmark of DEEP MEDi Musik releases. Rolling percussion is clearly at home on this label, accented with dubbed horns and sparsely yet carefully placed synth pads. “Roots” is a slow and methodical in its unwinding, however, it is still undeniably captivating.

DEEP MEDi Musik again reminds us that unapologetic dubstep is still as musically and emotionally compelling as ever, and despite what critics, nay-sayers, and punters might attempt to preach, the end is not in sight. words by Owen Renn

Synkro – Viewpoint/ Untitled ft. Versa [Pushing Red] After a relatively silent 2010, Synkro makes his triumphant return this March with a versatile release on the Texas based label Pushing Red, which has been releasing nonstop quality ever since it was founded in 2009. Synkro has been known for releasing tracks varying from warm garage inspired sounds to deep dubstep hitters, none lacking the ever present soulful warmth and a dreamy atmosphere.

The A-side kicks off with a track titled “Viewpoint,” which is a subtly energetic garage track with pitched and chopped up vocals, crisp beats and a hypnotizing ambient drone in the background. The relaxing atmosphere combined with the funky, driving garage beat makes it a perfect track to kick back to, without it losing your attention.

The track “Untitled” on the B-side slows it down and takes a deeper course with the help

of upcoming producer Versa. The crackly, glitchy intro leads you into a beautifully produced track with echoing vocals and gloomy synths, which, provided with perfect side chaining, give the heavy kick drum and deep sub bass room to pick up the groove and keep you head nodding all they way through the track. The progression and subtle variation in the beat gives a well-balanced feel to the song without getting repetitive anywhere.

This record is yet another solid piece of music released on the Pushing Red label, and it further proves that any release on this label is definitely worth listening to.

words by Freek Wams

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Comma – Colortronics [Frite Nite] Take a moment to envision the most remote and secretive space possible.

Within that space, imagine a network built entirely of tiny projected illusions forever morphing in size, shape, and perspective. Now, shift your focus just beneath the foundation of that network to find the sprawling lifeline of oscillating blueprints — all written by the blink of an eye, controlled by time, and created by the reflections of sound.

You have entered a realm of sensual unpredictability. The past, present, and future remain only a concept within the questioning of reality. Welcome to the kaleidoscopic world of Colortronics, the latest 7-track album from the prismatic mind of Comma.

“Ken Griffey Jr.” leads the way (in sonic form as the first track of course), with a straight launch into the soulful side of Comma’s infinite spectrum. Next up, “Mezcal Hologram” shows off crooning vintage synths and brain-wetting snare splashes, creating the tight danceinvoking track appropriately featured in Eprom’s 2010 Yearlist for Lowriders Collective. A more rapidly chilled version of "Mezcal Hologram" (revisited in a remix by Om Unit) fits seamlessly into

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the vibe toward the end of the album.

Also on the remix lineup, "Slimer" – an energizing blend of bruising beats and power leads by the Darkhouse Family from South Whales, which conjurs up quite the finale.

In summary, Colortronics feels as if you rewound yourself within the spindles of a magnetic tape cartridge, read and rewrote the schematics for a Korg Poly 800, converted the files to nanochip technology and fast-forwarded (yes, that’s a word) into a sucka-free dimension — all in time to receive a time-honored reward from the future for being so fresh.

Colortronics minimum hardware and software requirements: a USB-friendly spacesuit and an inspiring mind.

words by Ivy Something

Silkie – City Limits Vol. 1.4 [DEEP MEDi Musik] City Limits Vol. 1.4, the latest release from Silkie’s City Limits series on Mala’s DEEP MEDi Musik label, is a succinct and powerful duo of tunes infused with Grade-A wobble and shake.

“Slow Jam” is a hugely riveting track, dark in all the right places with plenty of open space to sneak around in. Stepping off steely and round, the track soon falls into a drop the size of a small planet, turning all of your bones into snakes. Crushing you with finesse, this track stomps like a march while its swaggering bass usurps your mind and body. Watery ripples of sexy dub slink into this blissed-out sonic world while a psychedelic floral background begins to spin, backing off a little only to prepare you for another massive drop. A sax slides in and smears a thick layer of creamy jazz over the end of the track as your eyes roll back in your head and you dream of a bent, bass-filled future with your new master.

Taking a decidedly bouncier route, the second track “Wonder” is bulging with quirky new wave synths and a solid swing, both anchored by a wonderfully dubby bottom layer. Your brain is pummeled by the bassline, then scooped up in small handfuls and thrown about like confetti as energetic licks from a flute and saxophone cheer the party on. The techy track gets over its tweak and boogies it all out towards the end, shoving you face-first into the lush layer of filth where you lay face-down with a smile.

With one full-on banger and one track walking the weirder side, City Limits Vol. 1.4 illustrates why Silkie is not only an influential mainstay in the bass community, but also a visionary artist who is pushing the sounds of dubstep to another level altogether. words by Shilo Urban

Distal, Hxdb, Mayhem – SFS003 [Surefire Sound] The third release from San Francisco’s Surefire Sound highlights Atlanta producer Distal alongside fellow Atlantan Mayhem and Vancouver’s HxdB. Distal and HxdB combine first on the “Typewriter Tune VIP,” a remix that is rumored to have been requested by Night Slugs headmaster Bok Bok. In this fun, decidedly 2011 bass music track all manner of click and bleep combine with thick pads and actual typewriter noises over deep, driving bass to get your body moving. There’s a lot happening in this song, but it all manages to come together and fit like the various pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The original of this is also floating around on the internet for free download, so look that up right now.

Mayhem collaborates with Distal on the second track of the release, “Frozen Barnacles," something a bit more 2008 in the best possible way. Imagine house-y chords from the likes of 2562, mingling with Peverelist bass and you might get something like this. The dubstep feel with the bass music sounds of “Typewriter Tune VIP” combine towards a release sure to please dubsteppers and all bass music fans alike.

words by Owen Renn

Hyetal & Baobinga – Anything For Now / Trouble [Build Recordings] Build Recordings, created by Sam Baobinga, stayed relatively under the radar during 2010.

It has proved to be a successful platform for Sam to both put out his own productions and collaborate and release music by the artists he most admires, while gaining a steady following. Over the past 12 months Build has constructed a catalogue of tracks and remixes from the likes of Untold, Mensah, DVA, Roska, and more. That list alone should raise the attention of anyone interested in the recent progressions in dubstep culture, and the content does not disappoint.

Working with Hyetal, who really came into the limelight via Mary Anne Hobbs' Radio 1 show, the A-side "Anything for Now" kicks in with

dancehall bongos and claps before breaking down into trance synths and sine wave basslines. The interest is carefully maintained with the use of peculiar samples and off-beat percussive hits. At its core, this feels like a hands-in-the-air affair, with a great rolling rhythm.

The B-side "Trouble" creeps in slowly with filtered drums and a rising flute line, until dropping into another highly energetic percussion section. The track feels a bit more melancholic, but does not lack in diversity and dancefloor spirit. words by John Dawson

Email all DOWNLOAD links to: musicbox@thebigupmagazIne.com.

Or mail CDs, vinyl, tapes, USB sticks, chocolateS to: Big Up Magazine, PO Box 194803, San Francisco, CA 94119.

We love the smell of fresh TPs and the sound of unreleased CDs!

Jacket: Durkl Shirt: Ugmonk Pants: Herlo Shoes: Doc Martens

Sunru is wearing: Custom made jewelery

by Sunru Carter

sound... i feel like that comes from A spirit... i don't ever really premeditate anything, i JUST let THE spirit flow through and guide me.

Sunru Carter Vocalist (with Muvlikamor) / Dancer / Designer

Art direction: Joshua Mays and Scott La Rockwell Mural paintings created by Joshua Mays at Pueblo Nuevo Artspace in Berkeley, California.

Photographs by Scott La Rockwell Models: Sunru Carter, Chor Boogie, Nadya Lateef.

BEHOLD: EYE OF THE BRAINSTORM

I take my experiences and try to flip them into

75

Tristan is wearing: Supreme Being sweater Levi’s jeans

Sarah is wearing: Supreme Being dress DALM earrings

Paul is wearing: Supreme Being jacket Natures Mistake shirt Gost jeans Nike shoes

Nadya is wearing: Shirt by 5733 Jeans by Hurley

Music surrounds me on a 24 hour basis.

I don't confine myself to one genre. LIVE MUSIC CONCERTS haVE always been most inspiring for me. when i'm at a show, and I CAN just hear the music surrounding me, it always motivates me.

Nadya Lateef Event Planner / Dancer / Model

Last November, driven by the concept of “creative process,” I conversed with Scott La Rockwell and Pueblo Nuevo Artspace in Berkeley, California. We spoke of energy that sparks inside the mind, transforming subconscious flashes into solid ideas, and solid ideas into brilliant pieces. I was given the green light to create, within the gallery, something physical, based upon these thoughts. The result is a three stage project titled BEHOLD: Eye of the Brainstorm.

Stage 1: I spent 12 days creating a mural that stretched from one corner of the space to the other. The mural is an illustration of a brainstorm session and is layered with metaphor and surrealism.

Stage 3: We did a video interview with each of the models asking them questions involving “getting inspired,” “creative process,” and “the ultimate creation.”

All this was to create a fashion editorial piece and web content supplement for the pages of Big Up Magazine and the Big Up website.

With BEHOLD, I wanted this to be a massive presentation of yet-to-be-tapped energy. I want people to experience the electric art flow that circulates within this community. I also want people to look within themselves to explore untapped resources by realizing all they have in common with the superstars that participated in BEHOLD: Eye of the Brainstorm.

Joshua Mays

Stage 2: Working with Pueblo Nuevo, we gathered a group of some of the most progressive, stylish, and energetic people working locally in various creative fields.

They were utilized as models for a photo shoot directed by Scott La Rockwell in front of the BEHOLD mural.

Joshua Mays - www.soldren.com Scott La Rockwell - www.larockwell.com To see complete video project visit www.pueblonuevogallery.com

Chor is wearing: T-shirt by Black Scale

i listen to all kinds of music. from experimental to hip hop, to rock, to some metal, some trance. all that junk, all that... jazz... everything.

That's why they call me Chor Boogie, because my artwork just flows. it's like a melodic symphony, 'cause of the music that i listen to. it's like a surrealistic expressionism of a street romantic voodoo, through emotional landscapes of a melodic symphony through color therapy.

Chor Boogie Artist

we weren't really... how should i say this... guided to be creative. we mostly just arrived Shirley G Sketcher / Hoarder of Clothing

Nadya is wearing: shorts by H&M shoes by NineWest

Courtesy of Revolver SF

Shirt: Jeremiah Pants: American Vintage Shoes: Warrior Footwear