Masters At Work Work Masters Ma t thi as Tanzmann Tanzmann Matthias Maxxi Soundsystem S oundsystem Maxxi Maya Jane Jane Coles C oles Maya Mig uel Campbell C ampb ell Miguel MK Mo derat Moderat P BR Streetgang S tre e tgang PBR Prosumer Prosumer Ri chy Ahmed A hm e d Richy Ryan Crosson Crosson Ryan S e th Troxler Troxler Seth Sha dow Child Child Shadow S oul Bros: Bros: Soul —S oul Clap Clap —Soul —The Martinez Mar tinez Brothers Broth ers —The Subb-an Subb-an Th e o Parrish Parr ish Theo Waifs & Strays S tr ays Waifs Many more... more... & Many
Tickets available at east ernelectrics.com easternelectrics.com
Anja S Anja Schneider chnei der Be nU FO Ben UFO B lawan Blawan C a tz N D og z Catz Dogz Cl a u de V onS troke Claude VonStroke D ami an Laza r us Damian Lazarus D ixon Dixon DJ Sn e ak Sneak D ye d S oundorom m Dyed Soundorom E a ts Ev e r y t h in g Eats Everything El len Al li e n Ellen Allien F utureb o og i e DJss Futureboogie Guy G erb er Gerber H ei di Heidi H uxley Huxley J oy Or b i s on Joy Orbison J ustin Martin Mar tin Justin L aur a Jo nes Laura Jones Ma ce o P lex Maceo Plex M agda Magda
Subject to licen licence ce
O ver 100 of of the th e Over world’’s finest f inest world’s house & techno te chno house a c ts including… including… acts
13
TRAP MAGAZINE F E B R U A RY / M A R C H 2 0 1 3 WWW.TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
REGULARS
THE DROP
FEATURES
HYPE LATEST NEWS AND HYPEST HAPPENINGS
06
OUTLOOK / DIMENSIONS
12
MONKI
11
EASTERN ELECTRICS
17
URBAN NERDS
15
RISE UP MY NU LENG / CLEAN BANDIT 28
FIFTY FIFTY
24
dBRIDGE TRAP MIXTAPE
31
FASHION
18
SHADOW CHILD
32
BOSS SELECTIONS DJ’S TOP TENS PLUS IN-DEPTH CHARTS
26
MAYA JANE COLES
34
FASHION SHOOT SPRING NOIR
48
DOBIE IN PICTURES
41
REVIEWS THE LATEST MUSIC & GAMES
69
YOUNGSTAR
46
STUDIO SESSIONS #3 WITH BREAK
78
DUB POLICE
59
BASSPOINTS THE HOTTEST EVENTS ON PLANET BASS
80
ART: SWITCH STUDIOS
65
31
32
34
46
59
FACEBOOK: Search ‘Trap Magazine’ TWITTER: @trapmagazine EMAIL: info@trapmagazine.co.uk
EDITOR: Jon Cook CREATIVE DIRECTOR/DESIGN: Andy Hayes FASHION EDITOR: Kasha Malyckyj SALES & ADVERTISING: Iain Blackburn MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION: Justin Iriajen SOCIAL NETWORKING: Amy Stiff WEB: Daddison & Nick Hills COVER: Maya Jane Coles by Laura Lewis. PICTURES: Laura Lewis, Gareth Rhys, Sarah Ginn, Satoshi Minakawa, Mark Read. WORDS: Kasha Malyckyj, Sam Collenette, Matt Riches Jason Gardener, Monki, Sam Bates, Gwyn Thomas de Chroustchoff, Sean Kelly, Jeryl Wilton, Justin Iriajen, Amy Stiff, Sophie Thomas, Oli Grant, Tim Rayner, James Rompini, Leyla Eroglu.
THANK YOU: Dane @ Two Plates, All @ Urban Nerds, Adam @ Backdrop, Ben @ Run, Rob, Tom & Ollie @ The Blast, Erin @ Columbo, Sam @ Red Bull, Lua @ Dutty, Will @ Coda, Jack @ Pack London, Saul @ Fabric, Andy @ The Bank, Louis, Rich & Syd @50/50, Carly @ Everything, Cheba & Sam @ WOC, Chris @ Cable, Chris & Joe @ Idle Hands, Danny Keston, James @ Ninja Tune, Ollie Grove, Neil @ Kish and everybody else we forgot.
006
TRAPMAGAZINE.
HYPE
13
HORIZON FESTIVAL NEW FESTIVAL IN THE SNOW On 23 March, a brand-new festival hits the slopes of Bulgaria, bringing with it a much-needed fresh approach to snow-based music festivals. With five full nights of music and plenty of time to mess around in the snow, if you can’t wait until summer for your festival kicks, then you need to give Horizon some serious consideration.
RINSE ACADEMY RinseFM has been a launch-pad for many of today’s biggest bass-music superstars. Now, the underground institution is upping its commitment to nurturing bright UK talent with the Rinse Academy Drop In Sessions. If you’re under the age of 21, the Rinse fam invite you to come down to their studios to hone your production skills with some of the station’s premier artists.
Packages start at just £256, which includes a five-day ski pass, six nights accommodation and your festival ticket. That is what we call a bargain. Parties will be hosted by some of Trap’s favourite promoters, including Trouble Vision, Trix, Audio Donuts, Apex and Shapes, and the line-ups for each of these is a cut well above the tired and played-out bookings you’ll find at the other bigger snow-based festivals. Loefah, Jackmaster, Dark Sky, Phaeleh, Ben Pearce, Wookie, Maribou State and, of course, Icicle and Throwing Snow are just a handful of the acts booked to play. Tickets are available now from the Horizon website.
We wish there’d been something like this when we were younger – if you fancy a career as a producer, don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity. The sessions are held every week on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1-7pm. To book your place email academy@rinse.fm.
horizo nfestival.net
r in se.fm
AIR MAX HOMETURF
PLEASURE PRINCIPLE
Nike’s Air Max line keeps the variations coming with the Hometurf series, delivering a range of 87s, 90s, 95s and 97s in original and Hyperfuse forms celebrating the unique personalities of London, Milan and Paris.
As we reported last issue, 26-28 April will see the debut Pleasure Principle festival take place near Newquay in Cornwall. With the Numbers and Dedbeat gangs behind it, you know it’s gonna be special.
nike.com
pl ea s u r ep r in c i pl e. n e t
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
LOVE SAVES THE DAY CITY-CENTRE FESTIVAL RETURNS After th e s ucces s of l a s t ye a r’s i n a u gu r a l e d i ti o n , Lo ve Sa ve s Th e Day r e turn s to Br is to l’s Ca s tl e P a r k a t th e e n d o f May f o r a n o th e r all -d ay kn ee s -u p i n th e o p en a i r. On Saturd a y 25 Ma y, th e city-ce n tr e p a rk w i l l a ga i n b e tr a n s f or med i nto a mi n i-fe s tiva l , w ith th ou s a n ds o f atte n d e e s a n d a ma s s i ve l i n e -up r i ch i n b oth lo ca l ta l e nt a n d the cu r r en t d a rl i n gs o f U K d a n ce mu s i c. Alu n a ge orge, Ru di me n ta l, Se th Tr o xl e r, Bo n d a x, J o y Orb i s o n , Jackma ste r, Bi cep a nd E a ts Everythi n g ma k e f o r j u s t a s l i th e r o f th e a rti s ts bo o ked to play, a n d w ith Te a m Love b e h in d th e e n ti r e e ve n t, yo u k n o w th e o n-si te p ro du cti on w o n’t d is a p p oi n t ei th er.
BLOC LONDON It takes some balls, but the team behind Bloc are back with a new concept, ready to drag their once illustrious brand from the ashes of the infamous failed Bloc Weekend in July last year. You’ve all heard about that night, and no doubt have your opinions on whether the brand should even have the audacity to return in any form, but here at Trap we’d like to forgive and forget and welcome the Bloc team back.
Ti ck e ts a re s ellin g ma d q u ick , s o i f yo u l i ve i n Br i s to l , we a d vi se yo u gr a b yo ur s n ow – d on ’t b l a me us wh e n yo u ’r e s a t a t h o me a l o n e l i ste ni ng to the d is tan t th ud o f b a s s f r om Ca s tle P a r k !
Bloc London kicks off a series of 10 dates on 9 March with Model 500 in the as-yet unannounced building. Check the website for more info.
l ov e sa v es th e d a y.o r g
b lo c l o n do n . c om
ECHO FESTIVAL
THE ALCHEMIST
We all know all about the big Croatian festivals, but if you’re looking for something more intimate, we recommend Echo. The line-up is deep, tickets cheap and location beautiful. Check the website for more info.
Reflecting on 20 years of producing music, Goldie releases ‘The Alchemist’, a three-CD anthology of his most defining sonic works, on 11 March. Check our April issue for a very special feature...
echofestival.com
go l d ie. co.u k
007
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
SOFT ROCKETS TRAP HOSTS ONE OF FIVE VENUES UNITED NATIONS OF DUB SITE RELOCATION As we reported last issue, 22 March will see United Nations of Dub, the UK’s first dub, reggae and roots indoor ‘weekender’. Originally, the festival was to be located at Pontins near Bristol, but due to recent sound complaints at the venue, UNOD has had to relocate to Prestatyn Sands in North Wales. The line-up is still just as strong and includes the likes of Channel One, Rodigan, Jah Shaka, Iration Steppas, and all the other holiday-park weekender attractions that the original location promised will be on offer. Tickets start at just £30 and are available now.
On Thursday 7 March, Bristol’s Stokes Croft will host Soft Rockets, a unique five-venue event with the aim of celebrating the area’s ever increasing cultural vibrancy and bringing together some of the city’s finest musical talent to create five brand-new tracks in the Red Bull Studios. Trap will be hosting one of the spaces, with a focus on all things bass-heavy delivered by the likes of Break, Buggsy and Jus Now, while South London Ordnance, Behling & Simpson, The Other Tribe and Marco Bernardi are just a few of the names playing for Bristol institutions such as Idle Hands and Futureboogie elsewhere on the night. Entry to all the venues is free; keep checking the website for more info on how to claim your wristband, and watch out for the EP.
u n o d we e ke n d e r.c o m re d b u ll . co.u k /s of tr o c ke ts
009
FEAT BONOBO LIVE
4OURS / ALUNAGEORGE LIVE / ÂME / APEX / APPLEBOTTOM / BABY MALC / BICEP / BONDAX BREAKAGE / BROMLEY / CHRISTOPHE & LUKAS / CRAZY P LIVE / CRAZYLEGS / CRUMP & KEADY DEETRON / DIGITAL SOUNDBOY / DISMANTLE / DUBIOUS & A.QUAKE / DUSKY / EATS EVERYTHING ETON MESSY / FEEL THE REAL / FUTUREBOOGIE / GORGON SOUND (KAHN & NEEK) / HALF NAKED JACKMASTER / JAY-L / JOY ORBISON / JUS NOW / JUST JACK / MARCO BERNARDI / MAXXI SOUNDSYSTEM / MICKEY PEARCE / MONKI / MR SCRUFF / OUTBOXX / PALEMAN / PARDON MY FRENCH / ROSES GABOR / RUDIMENTAL LIVE / SETH TROXLER / SHAMBARBER / SHANTI CELESTE SHAPES / SHY FX / SLY-ONE / THE DANCE OFF / THE HOUSE OF BOO-DIOR / THE OTHER TRIBE LIVE THE BLAST / TOM RIO AND DAN WILD / WAIFS AND STRAYS / WOZ / & MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
WWW.LOVESAVESTHEDAY.ORG SUBJECT TO LICENCE
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
011
Now part of Radio One’s In New DJs Trust roster, as well as holding down her Saturday afternoon RinseFM slot and running the Zoo Music imprint, Monki is doing everything we expected of her when she first started writing for Trap two years ago. This is what she’s vibing on this month...
WHP CLOSING PARTIES March is the month that the all mighty Warehouse Project leaves us for another six months, and the last four days of March promise what you would usually expect... Goodness. Line-ups include Maya Jane Coles, Ben Klock, Rustie, Loefah, Jackmaster, Skream, Heidi and a finale of Alesso Presents. Farewell WHP, see you again soon!
I LOVE…
CATCH ME AT:
DISCLOSURE ‘INFECTED’
8 MARCH THE NEST
What a year it's been for the two Disclosure brothers. With ‘Latch’ peaking at Number 11 in the charts last year, and ‘White Noise’ with AlunaGeorge looking to do even better, I think the boys deserve a round of applause! If you dig into YouTube, you’ll find another track, ‘Infected’. They performed this at Radio 1's Future Festival, as well as at their intimate gig in Brixton last year. Go check who's on the vocals!
I'll be playing The Nest in London’s East-End on 8 April, alongside two other female DJs, which is a rarity! B.Traits and Kito will be making up the rest of the bill. Tickets are available now on Resident Advisor
FESTIVAL TICKETS! Now, I know it's early but this is a heads-up; festival season is approaching. Before you know it, they'll all be sold out and your mates will be falling around in a field laughing while you’re sat at home wishing you were there. So, prepare! Line-ups are starting to be announced, so good luck on those phone lines and refreshing those web pages. See you in a field somewhere!
12 APRIL SANKEYS
ONE TO WATCH SQUAREHEAD A young producer from Sheffield, Squarehead is causing quite a stir. If you search back a few years, you'll see he's been in the background for a hot minute, but 2013 seems to be going swimmingly. Late December saw him release ‘Elegante’ on his own imprint 5andSeven, and it’s seen radio support from Annie Mac, B.traits and more. You'll be seeing his face a lot more in clubs and on festival stages this year, I’m sure.
This will be my first time at Sankeys and I can't wait! The line-up on 12 April includes Zed Bias, Friend Within, Braiden and fellow youngster Karma Kid. Manchester is one of my favourite musical cities, so it's always a pleasure to play there.
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
012
OUTLOOK PULA, CROATIA 29 AUGUST – 2 SEPTEMBER 2013 Back for its sixth year and now firmly established as the greatest celebration of bass-music culture anywhere on Planet Earth, Outlook has announced its plans for 2013. Combining one of the most unique and evocative festival locations in the world with four days and nights of music from the biggest names in reggae, dubstep, drum & bass, hip-hop, grime and beyond, the king of Croatian festivals looks comfortable shrugging off the many pretenders to its throne. The final weekend of August will see the ruined Fort Punta Christo on Croatia’s north coast again packed to the ramparts with massive soundsystems, hundreds of artists and thousands of eager ravers ready for the best weekend of their lives. Now far evolved from its origins as a small-scale dubstep rave-up in a Croatian fishing town back in 2008, this year’s Outlook covers the full spectrum of bass-driven music on a massive scale, with the underground sounds filling the Fort’s more intimate spaces complemented by international superstars playing reggae, hip-hop and more on the enormous harbour-side main stage. With wall-to-wall sunshine (almost) guaranteed, cheap booze and daytime beach and boat parties (one of which Trap will be hosting with our friends The Blast), if you like your music bass-heavy but you’ve never been to Outlook, then make sure you sort it this year! For those that know, we will see you in the sunshine.
LINE-UP INCLUDES: Talib Kweli, Digital Mystikz, Alborosie, Goldie, Rodigan, Jay Electronica, Loefah, Joey Bada$$, Randall, Benji B, Shy FX, Mungo’s Hi-Fi, Newham Generals, The Heatwave, Zed Bias.
ou tl oo k f es ti v al . co m
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
013
DIMENSIONS PULA, CROATIA 5 – 9 SEPTEMBER 2013 After an impressive debut last year, Dimensions looks ready to establish itself as one of the most forward-thinking electronic music festivals around with its second edition this September.
Tick e a c h feet s f o r cost £1 stival 35 + BF
C o m b in ed O D im e n s io n s ti u tl o o k / c k e ts c ost £ 24 5 + BF F li g h ts a re c h e tr a n s fe a p , a ir p rs c a n o rt be b th e re s p e c ti v e o u g h t o n w e b s it Camp o e. n s it e o r re n t a p a rt m e n ts n e a rb y.
Taking place in the same see-it-to-believe-it ruined coastal fortress as Outlook, and on the following weekend, Dimensions brings a deeper, more thoughtful take on electronic music to one of the world’s most incredible festival locations. By night, the moats and courtyards of Fort Punta Christo will play host to an eruditely compiled roster of talent representing not just the cutting edge, but the full history of electronic music, in all its most interesting shapes. A live show from techno original Juan Atkins’ Model 500 tops a stunning line-up that reaches confidently into the worlds of techno, house, dub and the deeper end of dubstep, drum & bass and electronica. During the daytime, if you’re not catching up on sleep, boat parties and chilled-out beach sessions help you make the most of the sunshine before heading back to the Fort for another night-long session with a few thousand likeminded music lovers. As you can tell, we’re big fans of Dimensions, so if you’re looking for something different this year, we can’t recommend it enough.
LINE-UP INCLUDES: Model 500 (live), Daphne, Omar S, Mala in Cuba , Theo Parrish, Boddika, Pearson Sound, Ben Klock, dBridge, XXXY, Bicep, Alexander Nut, Moodymann, Huxley, Kowton, Marcus Intalex.
d i men s i ons f e st i v al . com
0$5&+ Â&#x2019; 3217,16 Â&#x2022;35(67$7<1 6$1'6Â&#x2013; 6(/) &$7(5,1* 3$5. 3 . 1' 1'
7+ 7+
3217,16 Â&#x2022;35(67$7<1 6$1'6Â&#x2013; 6(/) &$7(5,1* 3$5. 3 . 1RUWK 8. 1RUWK :DOHV :DOHV 8.
-$ --$+ $+ $ ++6+$.$ 78%%< 6 $%$ $%$ 6+$17, , 6+$17, , --$+ -$ $+ $ 6+$.$ &+$11(/ &+$11(/ 21( -$+ 78%%< 6 1177,, ,, 67(33$6 .,%,5 /$ /$$0/$. $0/$. ,,5$7,21 55$$77 67(33$6 .,1* ($57+48$.( ($57+48$.( .,%,5 ,,5$7,21 //$$.. <281* :$55,25 :$55,25 $$ $/3+$ // 20(*$ -21$+ '$1 '$1 %86+ %86+&+(0,676 &+(0,676 $/3+$ 20(*$ IWIW '$1 , '$1 , 3$8/ )2; -21$+ 7766 0$1$66(+ IWIW '$5. '$5. $1*(/ .(11< .12776 0$1$66(+ .12776 6,67$ 6,67$$,6+$ $,6+$ 0$57,1 &$03%(// &$03%(// 18&/(86 52276 0$57,1 52276 081*2 6 081*2 6+, ), +, ), 9,%521,&6 IW IW 0$'8 0$'8 0(66(1*(5 (&+2 9,%521,&6 (&+2 5$1.6 5$1.6 3$59(= 3$59(= <7 <7 '8%.$60 '8%$7((56 '8%$7((56 IW &+$5/,( 3 2%) '8%.$60 2%) IW IW 6+$17, 6+$17,'' )5
)5
%/$&.%2$5' -81*/( )5 .,1* %/$&.%2$5' .,1* 6+,/2+ 6+,/2+ 1/
1/
5($/,7< 5 6 6+2&. 2&. &. IIW IIW 6 62/2 2//2 2 %$1721 %$1721 %$1721 67$1' 67$1' +,*+ + ,,* 33$752/ IIW 383$ 33$$--,0 ,,0 ))55
5($/,7< 5 (($$//,,77<<6 6+2&. ++2 WW 6 62/2 2 % +,*+ *+ + 3$752/ 3$$7752 52 2//IW IWW38 38 383$ --,0 0 )5
)5
5 $ ' , . $ / * 8 5 8 I W &, $ 1 ) , 1 1 3 / , 5 /
5 2 2 7 6 * $ 5 ' ( 1 I W . , 1 * $ < / ( 5 2 $$;; 5$',.$/ *858 IW &,$1 ),11 3/ ,5/ 52276 *$5'(1 IW .,1*-$< /(52< 6$; 5$ $',. $/ * 858 IIWW &, $1 ) , 11 $5'(1 IIWW . ,1*-$ -$< / (52<<6 6 5$',.$/ *858 &,$1 ),11 *$5'(1 .,1*-$< /(52< 6$; 35,1&( 6/,00$+ 3 & --$02 --$02 02 2 6 6 00 0$ $+ + 6281' 6281' 52276 75,%(
5,,% 1 55($/,7< 6628/-$+6 35,1&( 6/,00$+ 3 55,,11&( &&( $$0 //,,0 66281' 52276 7 75,%(
%((
1/ 1/ 1//
5($/,7< 5(($$//,,77<<628/-$+6 62288//-$ -$++66 '88%%7(5525 7((55552255 ,7 8. ,7 8. .
. 08 85 55 5$ $<<0 0$ $1 1 IW IWW &/ &/ / 1 *( ((// 0(//2: 0 ,,%%((66
' $$'''' 0855$<0$1 &/$,5( $1*(/ 9,%(6 '0$'' ''8% 77(5525 ,,77 88. .
0855$<0$1 0 IIW /$ $,,5 5( ($ $ 1* *( * 0(//2: 0((////2 2: :9 9 '- -0 '0 '8% &/$,5( $1*(/ 9,%(6 0$'' $ + 5 ( 9 ( / $ 7 , 2 1 0 8 = , . &( ( &, / 5 ( 8 % ( 1 % 5 2 7 + ( 5 & 8 / 7 8 5 ( 0 & 7 5 2 2 3 -$+ 5(9(/$7,21 08=,. &(&,/ 5(8%(1 %527+(5 &8/785( 0& 75223(5
--$+ $+ 5 (9(/$7,21 0 8=,. &(&,/ &( (&,/ 5 (8%(1 % 527+(5 & 8/785( 0 &7 5223((55
5(9(/$7,21 08=,. 5(8%(1 %527+(5 &8/785( 0& 75223(5
--$+ $++)5(( )55(((( $ $ $5,(6 $//33+ +$$ 67(33$ 67 7( 7 3$ $ 5,'',0 5,'',0 5,,' '' ',,0 0 78))$ 7 6&7 6. 33$57 67</( 66281' - -3
--$+ $ ))5(( $5,(6 55,,((66 $/3+$ $$/3+$ 667(33$ 7( ((333 5 78))$ 78 8) )))$ $ 6&7 6. 66& &77 66..
3$57 67</( 3$$5577 6677<<//((6281' 6228811'' -3
3 -3
$ 6 . $ / $ 6 ( / $ 6 6 , ( &+ $ = % 2 ( 0 3 5 (6 ( 6 6 6 + ( 0 $ 8 . 3
, ' 5 ( 1 1 $ 7 8 5 $ / 5 2 2 7 6 + , $6.$/$ 6(/$66,( &+$=%2 (035(66 6+(0$ 8. -3 ,'5(1 1$785$/ 52276 +,7(. $6. $/$ 6(/$66,( 6(/$66,( &+$=%2 &+$=%2 (035(66 (035( (6 66 6+(0$ 6+(0$ 8. -3 8. -3 ,,'5(1 '5(1 1$785$/ 1$785 $/ 5 2276 +,7(. +7,7((.. $6.$/$ 52276 5$$6608))(7 5$ 088))))((77 0LJKW\ 0 0LLJK J WW\\ 7DOERW 7DDOOER ERWW
''-- '(5(. '( (5 5( (. . +<7$/ + % $ : 66281' 332:(5 08))(7 ''(5(. 55$6 0 0LJKW\ JJK 77DOERW ' ' +< <7 7$ $// %265$+ %2 2665$ 5$ $+ + :25' :2 255''6281' 6228811'' 32:(5 322::((55 5$6 +<7$/ %265$+ :25' % / $ . $ 0 , ; 0 $
. $ < $ 6 2 8 1 ' 5 ( % ( / / , 2 1 6 $ / 2 0 2 1 + ( 5 , 7 $ * ( I W 5 $ 6 7 : ( ) %/$.$0,; 0$ .$<$ 6281' 5(%(/ /,21 6$/2021 +(5,7$*( IW 5$6 7:((' %/$. $0, ; 0$ .$<$ 0$ . $<$ 6281' 6281' 5(%(/ 5(%(/ /,21 /,21 6$/2021 6$/2021 +(5,7$*( +(5,7$*( IW IW 5$6 5 $6 7:((' 7:((('' )5
)5
)55
%/$.$0,; 8 1 , 7 < + , ) , &5 ( : I W ' ( ) & 2 1 2 1 ( &+ 5 , 6 & 8 / 7 8 5 ( 6 S H F L D O * X HV W V , 5 , ( / $ 1 ' 6 2 8 1 '
81,7< +, ), &5(: IW '()&21 21( &+5,6 &8/785( 6SHFLDO *XHVWV ,5,(/$1' 6281' 8 1,7 < + (: IIWW ' ()&21 2 1( &+5,6 &+5,6 &8/785( &8/785( 6SHFLDO 6SHFLDO *XHVWV *XHVWV ,5,(/$1' , 5 , ( / $ 1' 6 281'' '(
'(
'(( 81,7< +,, ) ),, &5 &5(: '()&21 21( 6281' . 2 6 , 1 ( ' , $ / ( & 7 X Q JO H $ O O L D Q F H 5 H F R U G L Q J V
' 8 % 6 0 8 * * / ( 5 6 , 0 , 7 5 , & 2 8 1 7 ( 5 $ & 7 , 2 1 .26,1( ',$/(&7 -XQJOH $OOLDQFH 5HFRUGLQJV '8% 608**/(56 , 0,75, &2817(5$&7,21 .26,1( ',$/(&7 $OOLDQFH 5HFRUGLQJV '8% 608**/(56 &2817(5$&7,21 . 26,1( ' ,$/(&7 -XQJOH -XQJOH $ OOLDQFH 5 HFRUGLQJV ' 8% 6 08**/(56 ,, 0,75, 0 , 7 5 , & 2817(5 $&7,21 (03(525)$5, +,*+1(66 6281' ,%, 6281' IW -$+ 0$51<$+ ',625'$ ( 0 3 ( 52 2 5 ) $ 5 , + , * + 1 ( 6 6 6 2 8 1 ' , % , 6 2 8 1 ' I W $ + 0 $ 5 1 < $ + ' , 6 (03(525)$5, 6281' 6281' 0$51<$+ ',625'$ ( 03(52 25)$5, +,*+1(66 +,*+1(66 6 281' ,,%, %, 6 281' IIWW --$+ $+ 0 $51 <$+ ' ,62255''$$ ,,167580(176 0((1 17766 2 2)) -$+ -$ $+ + '8%%/( '8 8% %% %/ /( ( IW IIW 0 $ &52 8. 2 ---$+ $$++92,&( 99 22,,&( 2) '8%%/( 2) 02/$5$ 92,&( ,,167580(176 11667755880 --$+ ' IWW 02/$5$ 02 2//$ $5$ 5$ $ &52 8. &52 &52 2 88..
-$+ &( $03 $03 287(51$7,21$/ 287(51$7,21$/ *5 *5 -$+ -$+ +$00$ +$00$ -$+ -$+ /2..2 /2. .2 &28175<0$1 &28175< 0$1 6281' 6281' IW )8/1(66 $03 )8/1(66 $03 287(51$7,21$/ 287(51$7,21$/ *5 *5 -$+ -$+ +$00$ +$00$ -$+ -$+ /2..2 /2. .2 &28175<0$1 &28175< 0$1 6281' 6281'IWIW IW)8/1(66 )8/1(66 --$+ $+ <287+ <287+ ,,17(51$7,21$/ 17(51$7,21$/ 0$$6$, 0$ $6$, :$55,25 :$55,25 6281' 6281' *29(510(17 *29(510(17 6281' 6281' <287+ 0$$6$, :$55,25 *29(510(17 --$+ $+ < 287+ ,,17(51$7,21$/ 17(51$7,21$/ 0 $ $6 $ , : $55,25 6281' 6281' * 29(510(17 6281' 6281' . $<$ )281'$7,21 )281'$7,21 52 52 385( 385( 3+$6( 3+$6( ( $67(51 5 2276 ' 8% & 21'8&725 --$+ $+ 5 $**$ .$<$ ($67(51 52276 '8% &21'8&725 5$**$ .$<$ . $<$ )281'$7,21 )281'$7,21 52 52 385( 385( 3+$6( 3+$6( ( ($67(51 $67(51 5 52276 2276 ' '8% 8% & &21'8&725 21'8&725 --$+ $+ 5 5$**$ $* **$ 52 2276 * 8,'$1&( & ,, 0$1 0$1 ,,7(/ 7( / 5 2276 ) ,5(+286( &+()) & &+()) 5227,&$/ 5227,&$/ .,/2:$77 . ,/2:$77 6281' 6281' 52276 *8,'$1&( 52276 ),5(+286( 5 2276 * 8,'$1&( & ,, 0$1 0$1 ,,7(/ 7( / 5 2276 ),5(+286( ),5(+286( &+()) & &+()) 5227,&$/ 5227,&$ $/ .,/2:$77 . ,/2:$77 6281' 6281' 52276 *8,'$1&( 52276 )(/L6 7(& +2 7(& +2 06% 06% %/,66 %/,66 =,21 =,21 .,1* . ,1* &/(** &/(** (9(50225 (9(50225 6281' 6281' )(/L6 )(/L6 7(& +2 7(& +2 06% 06% %/,66 %/,66 =,21 =,))8// 2 1, 1).,1* .2,$7 1 * &/(** &/(** (9(50225 (9(50225 6281' 6281' )(/L6 8// ,1)2 $7 7 )8// ) 8// ,1)2 , 1)2 $7 $7 7 8. :L :LGH &RDFKHV ZL ZLWK 8. :L :LGH &RDFKHV ZL ZLWK
&DOO
7,&. (76 (; ( ;&/86, 9 (/< /< $7 $7
7,&. (76 (; ( ;&/86, 9 (/< /< $7 $7
BUY TICKETS BUY TICKETS BUY B UY TICKETS TICKETS
London’s nerdiest party-starters return with another update on their world…
www.urban-nerds.com
A couple of months into 2013 and things are rolling along nicely at Urban Nerds HQ, after a sold-out NYE event and a ram-jam NYD party at Ministry of Sound with Eastern Electrics, which featured special guests including Eats Everything, MK, Loefah, Dusky, Zed Bias, it’s safe to say we started off the year the right way!
RATTUS RATTUS HOT 5IVE 1. Kry Wolf ‘The Flood’ Tearing up dancefloors wherever it's played; some serious weight. 2. Paranoid Resistance ‘The Grid’ A new project from Tom Shorterz and Lorenzo, two producers currently smashing the scene. This collaboration doesn't disappoint. 3. iGrade ‘Dead’ VIP A monster. Expect big things from iGrade this year. 4. My Nu Leng ‘Elite’ A stellar EP from rising stars My Nu Leng, which has been given out for FREE!! This one has gone straight into my playlist with its rolling synth lines. 5. Jason Burns ‘Wait’ (Rattus Rattus Rmx) Yup, this ones from me. If you’re not convinced by my obvious bias, check out the original, which is a new-school garage classic.
There’s been no let-up, as January also saw us hosting an arena at the Bugged Out Weekender where DJ EZ stole the show and a sell-out Sin City show with Supercharged in Brighton. It’s been a good start to 2013; big up to everyone who’s partied with us over the past few months!
SNOWBOMBING 2013 In April we’re heading back to Snowbombing for the fifth year in a row, and another five days of non–stop partying! Rompa’s Reggae Shack will see a special ragga jungle set from Eats Everything and a b2b reggae set from Breach and Artwork, while the Urban Nerds main event promises Todd Edwards, Mosca, DJ EZ and Breach! There are only a few tickets left for this year’s event. Book through Urban Nerds and you’ll receive a limitededition T-shirt. Check out the link below for more info. WWW.SNOWBOMBING.COM/URBANNERDS TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
015
2-4 AUGUST 2013
A
fter almost five years of pioneering parties in some of the capital’s most interesting spaces, London house and techno trailblazers Eastern Electrics take the next step in their ongoing evolution with a proper tents-and-grass, three-day festival at the legendary Knebworth Estate. Perfectly timed to capitalise on the underground’s current obsession with all things house and techno, Trap couldn’t be prouder to be official media partners for this year’s festival, which looks like it could be the event that defines the dance music zeitgeist of 2013. And there could be no more fitting venue for this than Knebworth, famed for monumental, era-setting rock concerts from the like of Led Zeppelin, Oasis and the Stones. Over the three days and two nights of the party, more than 100 of the finest and most on-point names in house and techno will be doing their thing across the multitude of arenas and open-air spaces on offer. From revered house music originators such as Masters At Work and DJ Sneak, to techno royalty Moderat and Dave Clarke, to the more bass-driven current sounds of the likes of Huxley, Ben UFO and this issue’s cover star Maya Jane Coles, the line-up on offer at Eastern Electrics 2013 is mind-boggling brilliant. There really will be no other festival anything like this in the UK in 2013, so whether you’re a house and techno stalwart looking for relief from the soulless dance festivals put on up North, or you’re a recent convert hyped on the freshness of the house music renaissance, grab your ticket now from the EE website and start getting hyped about August.
LINE UP INCLUDES: Ben UFO, Blawan, Claude VonStroke, Dave Clarke, DJ Sneak, Dyed Soundorom Eats Everything, Huxley, Joy Orbison, Laura Jones, Levon Vincent, Maya Jane Coles, Masters At Work, Maurice Fulton, Maxxi Soundsystem, MK, Moderat, Sasha, Seth Troxler, Shadow Child plus many more.
Knebwor t h i s j ust a couple of mil es fr om St ev enage r ai l sta ti on, 20 minutes f rom cent ral Lo ndon by tr ai n. Limite d £115 + BF we eken d ticke ts ar e on sale now, stan dar d ticke ts will cos t £145 + BF. Buy f our t i ck ets a nd get one f ree by boo ki ng on t he EE websi te. Da y ticke ts availab le fr om mid-Apr il. V IP tickets cost £180 + BF.
www.easternelectrics.com
THE WHITEPEPPER www.thewhitepepper.com Sin ce s tar ting ou t on aso s mar ke tp l ace, Eas t-Lon don label Th e White pe ppe r has car ved out a n ich e w ith its s tr eet-style ins pi red ae sth e tic. Th e b rand ’s SS13 off e r in g ch an nels that vibe p e r f e ctly, with a mix of laid-ba ck lu xe dr es s es an d q uirky s e par ates i n lightw e ight f abr ics an d s o ft co lou r p a l ettes . We ’ve go t a l ot o f love f or The White p e ppe r’s o nline stor e, w hi ch n ot o n ly car ries th e late st ran ge, b u t also h olds a s election of men swe ar, han d-p ick ed vin ta ge a n d an imp re ss ive co llecti on of tr e nd -h ea vy s ho es an d a cce s so r ies .
FA S H I O WORDS :
N
13
Kash & J a s o n a M a lyc ky j G a rdn e r
LF MARKEY www.lfmarkey.com LF Mar key is a l ab el that ep itomis es und ers tated lu xur y. The SS13 col l ectio n conveys thi s effor tle ssl y. As wi th al l LF Ma rk ey coll ecti ons , the s hir t is the mai n focus of this r an ge, wi th th e cl as si c styl e r epr es ented i n sho rt-sl eeved u nis ex s hapes , decora te d wi th 90s su rf pr in ts a nd pol ka-dots. Mens we ar i s a welcome a ddi tion to the l abel , wi th tai l ore d shor ts and sl acks i n tonal n avy and grey co mpl eti ng the look .
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
019
WWW.NVMBRSTREETWEAR.COM
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
021
PUBLISH publishbrand.com
US br and P ubl is h h a s a f ir m man ife sto o f pr o duci n g classi c men s w e a r pi e ce s with an all -i mpo r tant mo dern tw is t. Offe rin g re fi ned ta k es o n u tilitar ian s ta ple pie ce s , the b ran dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s col le cti on i nclu d es a stro ng sele ction o f pr e mi um ou terwe ar, de n im, tee s , accesso ri es a nd cu t-a n d-s ew pieces. P u bli s h i s a va i l a bl e n ow fr om Co os hti .
FA S H
ION 13
HOUSE OF MIDAS houseofmidas.com Dr ip your sel f in gol d co ur te sy of je wel ler y b ran d H ou se of Mid as , wh ose r ange of vin tage d esi gne r-in sp ir ed acce ssor ie s h as made the to p o f ou r musthave li st thi s mon th. Visit the web site f or wee kl y up date s an d kee p an eye o ut f or a t-s hir t r an ge laun chin g so on.
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
FA S H I
ON 13
SUBLIMINAL APPAREL facebook.com/subliminalapparel Ne w s tre etw ea r b r a nds w ith p ock e t-te e an d 5-p a n el ca p-pa cked r a n ges a r e ten-a -pe n n y the s e days , b ut UK b r a n d Subli mi n a l sta n d ou t fr om th e h o me b re w cro wd in s tyl e. He avil y in fl uen ce d by des i gn an d mu s i c culture , the ra n ge i s exp a nd i ng qu ick l y. The re ’s a r eal commi tme nt to q u a l i ty across th e l i nes o n o ff er, w i th de e p f abr ics a n d i ntrica te deta i ls ma ki n g th e tees, ha ts a nd b a gs o n o ffe r a cu t ab o ve the r es t. The Li be rty-p ri nt p ock et te e s ha ve go t us dro o li ng – ch e ck th e on l in e s tor e n o w fo r more fro m the Sub l imin a l r a n ge .
023
Skateboarding. We love it. So do the guys at fifty fiftyâ&#x20AC;Ś This is their world right now.
WWW.5050STORE.COM
Celebrating in style Our 15-year anniversary is in full swing, having kicked off back in December with a fresh product launch and an after-party headlined by the mighty Diamond D. To celebrate the milestone, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve dropped two collaborations with two very different brands, alongside a bunch of new in-house graphics. Both packs are exclusive to fifty fifty and are available in limited quantities.
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
024
Fifty Fifty x 5Boro NYC The first collab project is with New York’s finest skate brand 5Boro NYC, which started life at a similar time to the store. It’s a brand we’ve always loved, as it’s maintained its roots and identity, with amazing graphics guaranteed in every line. The fifty fifty x 5Boro pack features a board that’s the result of 5Boro’s research into Bristol heritage. The brand came up with a twist on its original ‘Join or Die’ series, using elements of a 16th Century Bristol heraldic shield on a gold-foil base. The flags featured on that shield also make up the graphics on the collaboration tee.
Fifty Fifty x Front The second link-up we chose is with Front Magazine who don’t really collaborate too often, but were down with our recent lines and gave us access to some amazing photos to choose for this project. The collab features two boards and tees, featuring the hottest Front girls. What more can we say? Everyone likes hot scantily clad ladies… We think the images speak for themselves!!! In other fifty fifty goings-on, the edit from our recent trip to the DC Embassy in Barcelona has just gone live over at www.thedcembassy.com. We’ve also dropped a short promo to coincide with our 15 Year Anniversary line, which is live at www.5050store/media-page so be sure to check out these edits featuring all the store’s team members shredding.
Twitter: @fiftyfiftystore Instagram: @fiftyfiftystore
As the weather gets better, the team are all out racking footage, so there’ll be plenty for you to keep an eye out for this year in that department. Go watch the edits and go skate!!!
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
025
This is where Trap invites the biggest and most important DJs in the game to tell us about ten tracks that hit them deep, for whatever reason. They don’t come much bigger or more important than Skream; here are his ten ultimate selections...
GOING IN DEEP
Skream
BIZZI – ‘BIZZI'S PARTY’ (BOOKER T RMX) This was the first record I ever bought, on the first trip I ever made to Big Apple records. It was a huge tune when I was at school; I think I only actually tried to buy it because it was a girl I fancied’s favourite song!
BODDIKA & JOY O – ‘MERCY’ This track really got me into house and techno as a producer. I mean, I'd been buying and listening to house since I was 15, but this tune really made me want to start making and playing it. I still play this in nearly every set!
THE EMOTIONS – ‘LOG ON’ (HORSEPOWER RMX) This is the tune that coined the term ‘dubstep’. I remember when Benny Ill brought it into Big Apple; everybody in the shop went nuts! Still an absolute personal favourite.
FIVE SPECIAL – ‘WHY LEAVE US ALONE’ Anybody who has seen or heard me play a disco set will be familiar with this one. I first heard it on the Larry Levan ‘Paradise’ compilation. I love everything about it, from the second it starts, to the banging bassline and what I regularly refer to as my favourite chord change ever! So sick.
SKREAM & BENGA – ‘THE JUDGEMENT’ This was my first ever release and also the track that I think changed mine and Benga’s lives forever. I'll never forget the night Hatcha intro’d with it at FWD>> circa 2002/2003... Epic times! SKREAM – ‘THE BUG’ This was my first solo release on Big Apple and the first track of mine to get three rewinds on Hatcha’s radio show on Flight FM!
CERRONE – ‘SUPERNATURE’ This record still sounds so fresh to this day. I don’t really know what else to say about this one, just listen to it!
SOLU MUSIC FT KIMBLEE – ‘FADE’ (ORIGINAL PT 1) This reminds me of when me and my missus first got together. My brother used to play at secret funky house parties called ‘Avant Garde’ and this was the first time I think I ‘felt’ music with another person emotionally, I guess...
EL-B FT JUICEMAN – ‘BUCK N BURY’ (ORIGINAL MIX) This tune was the track that made me want to make music for the rest of my life. The first time I heard it I lost my shit. I owe a lot to El-B for early inspiration, absolute don!
SIR SPYRO RINSE FM
HANNAH WANTS FOOD
PLASTICIAN RINSE FM
1. SPYRO FT. FOOTSIE – ‘NIGHT SHIFT’ (DRAGON PUNCH) 2. FAZE MIYAKE – TRENDSETTER' (DUB) 3. DEECO – ‘32TB’ (DUB) 4. RUDE KID FT. MERKY ACE – ‘3 CDS’ (FAMILY TREE) 5. BOK BOK – ‘SILO PASS' (SPYRO PASS REMIX) (NIGHT SLUGS) 6. TRC – ‘WIGGLE' (DUB) 7. PREDITAH – ‘LOOSE CANNON' (AMMUNITION) 8. P MONEY – ‘ROLL CALL' (S.O.T.U) 9. RUDE KID – ‘SCHOOL BELL' (DUB) 10. SPYRO FT MERKY ACE & EGO – 'GET ALONG GANG' (DRAGON PUNCH)
1. HANNAH WANTS & LOMAC – ‘DAPPY’ (FOOD) 2. MAXTA - ‘I WANNA ROCK’ (WOZ REMIX) (SONY) 3. DEVOLUTION – ‘MY FRIENDS’ (DUB) 4. HANNAH WANTS & LOMAC – ‘SO SPECIAL’ (DUB) 5. PARANOID RESISTANCE ‘THE GRID’ (DUB) 6. CLOCKWORK - ‘BBBS’(GTA REMIX) (MAD DECENT) 7. HANNAH WANTS & LOMAC ‘NONE A THEM’ (FOOD) 8. KRY WOLF - ‘WORKIN' HARD’ (FOOD) 9. DOUGLAS GREED - ‘WHEN A MAN SINGS ON A TRACK’ (DOUGI) 10. ALPINES - ‘CHANCES’ (CYRIL HAHN REMIX) (UNTRUE)
1. SWIFTA BEATER – ‘BOMB’ (STAYFRESH) 2. JAYDROP – ‘THAT’S HOW IT IS’ (TEMPA) 3. FOOTSIE – ‘DON'T GET GASSED’ (DUB) 4. SHIFT KEY – ‘WIGGLE WITH IT’ (BUYGORE) 5. MOJO – ‘FIRE’ (TERRORHYTHM) 6. P MONEY FT BLACKS – ‘TOP BOY’ (DUB) 7. PLASTICIAN FT. DISCARDA, BLACKS, MERKY ACE & P MONEY – ‘DESTRUCTION DERBY’ (DUB) 8. AWE – ‘RUST LUNG’ (TERRORHYTHM) 9. SI YOUNG – ‘ONLY ONE’ (DUB) 10. AWE – ‘EAGLE SOUL’ )’ (TERRORHYTHM)
TOM DEMAC HYPERCOLOUR
YOUNG LION DRB SHOW
1. A SAGITTARIUN – ‘EYE AGAINST EYE’ (ELASTIC DREAMS) 2. STEVE STOLL – ‘SLIPSTREAM’ (NOVAMUTE) 3. TOM DEMAC & GLIMPSE – GUNS & POSERS’ (DRUMCODE LTD.) 4. PEPE BRADOCK– ‘A BUNCH OF CEPHALORES’ (ATAVISME) 5. JAMES WELSH – ‘HE WAY’ (TOM DEMAC REMIX) (JOIN THE DOTS) 6. KEVIN MCPHEE – ‘VERSION 5’ (3024) 7. ROOTSTRAX – ‘HARLEQUIN 808 DUB’ (ROOTSTRAX) 8. SAVAS YSTATIS – ‘ALRIGHT’ (SURGEON REMIX) (TRESOR) 9. GLIMPSE – ‘OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN’ (TOM DEMAC REMIX) (AUS) 10. DENSE & PIKA – ‘LACK OF LIGHT’ (HOTFLUSH)
1. BUSY SIGNAL – ‘COME SHOCK OUT’ (JUKE BOXX) 2. CHRONIXX – ‘AINT NO GIVING IN’ (DIGITAL VIBEZ MUZIK) 3. CHRONIXX – ‘LOSING CONTROL’ (CHIMNEY) 4. POPCAAN – ‘FOOD HAFFI RUN’ (21ST HAPILOS) 5. POPCAAN – ‘CLEAN STAMP’ (U.I.M RECORDS) 6. KONSHENS – ‘DRINK & RAVE’ (RAZZ & BIGGY MUSIC) 7. POTENTIAL KIDD – ‘DASH IT AWAY’ (UNISYZ MUSIC) 8. STEPHEN 'DI GENIUS'MCGREGOR – ‘ME ALONE’ (DI GENIUS) 9. VYBZ KARTEL – ‘WEED SMOKERS’ (HEAD CONCUSSION / ADIDJAHIEM) 10. I OCTANE – ‘BLOOD A GO RUN’ (DJ FRASS)
JUBEI METALHEADZ 1. CLARITY – ‘CONSTANT’ (EXIT) 2. GOLDIE – ‘BROKEN MAN’ (METALHEADZ) 3. RUFFHOUSE – ‘STRANGERS’ (INGREDIENTS) 4. MARCUS INTALEX – ‘RIOTS’ (METALHEADZ) 5. ST FILES – ‘ERIC BRISTOW’ (EXIT) 6. MUTT FT KEVIN KING – CONVERSATIONS’ (GREMLINZ & RENE LA VICE RMX) (DUB) 7. ULTERIOR MOTIVE – ‘RIGHT HERE’ (METALHEADZ) 8. SKITTLES – ‘IN FOR ME’ (JUBEI REFIX) (ESTATE) 9. JUBEI – ‘SAY NOTHIN' FT FLOWDAN’ (ROCKWELL RMX) (METALHEADZ) 10. JUBEI & CONSEQUENCE – ‘BLACK HORNET’ (THERE'S STILL HOPE) (METALHEADZ)
Two more Rise Up mixes from talents we’re tipping for the top coming your way; this time from frighteningly on-point duo My Nu Leng, and chart-troubling collective Clean Bandit. Check the website to grab both these, and all our previous mixes. www.trapmagazine.co.uk
09 We Are...
MY NU LENG WE ARE... James Irving and Tommy Jackson, aka My Nu Leng.
YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT... We're fully aware we have a silly name; too many people take the scene far too seriously!
YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW US FOR... Our recent release on 877 Records ‘The Grid’.
THE BEST ADVICE WE'VE EVER HAD IS... Keep doing your own thing.
WE'D DESCRIBE THE MUSIC WE MAKE AS... Moody, dark and bouncy. WHEN WE'RE NOT WORKING, YOU'LL FIND US... Watching films and drinking tea! WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, WE DREAMED OF BEING... James: A football legend. Tommy: A paleontologist (Jurassic Park had quite an impact on the younger me). IF WE WEREN'T DOING MUSIC, WE'D... James: I’d probably be working in an office for the rest of my life. Tommy: Be struggling to pursue a career in the art world. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD TO US IS... Family and friends, and the ability to be able to express ourselves through music.
028
OUR MUSICAL GUILTY PLEASURES ARE... J: 2000-2003 Drive Thru Records. T: Nicki Minaj.
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE OUR MIX ARE... My. Nu. Leng. IN 12 MONTH’S TIME... Hopefully, still releasing music and travelling to different places to play records! @mynuleng
10 We Are...
CLEAN BANDIT WE ARE... Clean Bandit: four instrumentalists, working with various featured vocalists for different songs. YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW US FOR... ‘A&E’, our latest release on Black Butter Records. WE'D DESCRIBE THE MUSIC WE MAKE AS... Electronic chamber music. Bass pop with cello and violin and live electro-acoustic drums. WHEN WE'RE NOT WORKING, YOU'LL FIND US... In Antigua.
actually fucks us off when people say "This song/film is crap but I love it". We like a lot of pop music, if that's what you mean... YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT... We made a video last winter in the sea off the British coast, featuring super model Lily Cole as a mermaid siren. This was for our song ‘UK Shanty’ and we all nearly died. THE BEST ADVICE WE'VE EVER HAD IS... Don't expect other people to do it for you. THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE OUR MIX ARE... Angel. Clean. Bandit. IN 12 MONTH’S TIME... We hope to be listening to our first album by the fire. @cleanbandit
WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, WE DREAMED OF BEING... Bakers. IF WE WEREN'T DOING MUSIC, WE'D... Make films. We've made all our music videos ourselves and would like to move towards narrative cinema at some point... THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD TO US IS... Each other, bacon and taxis. OUR MUSICAL GUILTY PLEASURES ARE... How can a pleasure be guilty? If you like it, then surely for you it is good, so it
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
02 9
Clothing, Footwear & Vintage Items Asics / African Apparel / Brooklyn We Go Hard / Clae / Colourway / Drifter / Fjallraven / Garbstore / Norse Projects / Percival / Perks & Mini / Ranks / Rockwell / Stones Throw / Super Eyewear / The Decades Hat Co. / The Quiet Life / The Trilogy Tapes / Too Much Posse / Wood Wood
8 Perry Road, Bristol. BS1 5 BQ. Monday - Saturday. 11.00 - 19.00 www.donutsthestore.co.uk
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
TRAP MIXTAPE 004 >Download the mix from 25 March at www.trapmagazine.co.uk
For the third in our exclusive mixtape series, Trap is truly honoured to have one of electronic music’s most forward-thinking talents at the controls. In a world of genres and sub-genres, very few individuals manage to artistically transcend the limits of their chosen tempo range or stylistic approach. As such, many artists are left stuck, associated with one sound and with limited appeal beyond the walls of their chosen scene. DBridge is one of the few. Much more than just a drum & bass producer and DJ , through the strength and integrity of his productions and the output of his record label Exit, the Londoner is rightfully regarded as one of the most unique forces in electronic music as a whole. As such, while the mere utterance of the term D&B may cause upturned noses and smug dismissals from the
dBridge techno-this-year, garage-last-year, undulating hipster crowd, the mention of the name dBridge is guaranteed to be met with universal acclaim, respect and awe. From the arrogant blogosphere to the ill-informed online music press, D&B usually equals derision. DBridge and his music, however, evoke a very different emotion. So forget what you think you know, and get online now to download dBridge’s exclusive mixtape. We can’t tell you what to expect from the mix; but we can confidently state that whatever approach dBridge takes, it will be packed with vibes, soul and plenty of surprises. As the man himself said when we probed him for details on the mix:
“I have no idea what kind of mix I'm going to do. My usual approach is to make something I'd happily listen to over and over...” We couldn’t have asked for anything more.
031
Into The Light
S
H C
A H
I
WORDS:
I
t’s no secret really, but Simon Neale, the man behind Shadow Child, has done it all. Working under his chart-storming Dave Spoon moniker, Simon clocked up releases on major dancel labels, playing countless big-room dates and even collaborating with So Solid’s Lisa Maffia. In total contrast, the last year has seen Neale’s productions as Shadow Child generating massive buzz on the dance-music underground, with his bass-driven take on the house and garage template earning releases for the likes of dirtybird and Moda Black, as well as helping establish Food, the label he runs with fellow dirtyBird artists Kry Wolf, as one of the labels to watch. Trap caught up with Neale to find out more…
TRAP_Let’s start from the beginning. With two top-forty hits under your belt and countless arena shows in the bag, what made you want to tear it all down and start again? Yeah, it seems a bit mad I suppose! I’ll always be proud of what I did with Spoon and it was a project that ultimately exceeded my expectations. However, the whole ‘EDM’ scene had adopted this relentless sound that lacked the dynamics that it used to have. Eventually I just fell out of love with it musically. TRAP_So when was the moment you thought ‘it’s time to change’? It sounds ridiculous but that moment came in 2011 on Steve Angello’s Size stage at Creamfields. Playing that stage was supposed to be a huge honor. I honestly have a lot of respect for all the guys that featured on that line-up, but I ended up feeling selfish because I just didn’t want to be there. I have to be 100% into what I’m doing and I think there’s only so much acting you can do when you’re not enjoying it. I really wanted to believe in what I was doing again and to bring some fresh inspiration into the studio. During that particular time I put together the beginnings of ‘String Thing’… TRAP_That was the track that pushed Shadow Child into the limelight… Yes, ‘String Thing’ has been the catalyst when it comes to Shadow Child. While I was producing as Spoon, I came up with the parts, but it just didn’t fit into what I was doing at the time. I’d been sitting on it for a while before I heard Eats Everything’s 'Entrance Song.' Granted, both ‘String Thing’ and ‘Entrance Song’ are two completely different tracks, but I really felt they connected in terms of vibe. So I got the ball rolling and sent it over to Eats. Thankfully, he really got behind the record,dropping it throughout his tour and on his Essential Mix.
032
D
O L
W D
Matt Riches
TRAP_At that time, the identity behind Shadow Child was shrouded in secrecy. Was this because you were you worried that the Dave Spoon connection would mar people’s opinion of your new output? Well, I really wanted Shadow Child to be completely separate from my other project. There was also a little bit of reservation about a new 'cooler' crowd thinking that I'd maybe jumped on something more credible. But I honestly just wanted to let the music do the talking and not feel any creative boundaries like I did before. When Barclay [Claude Von Stroke] eventually signed it to dirtybird, I had the confidence to actually hit the reset button. I changed my whole set-up completely, from management down… TRAP_One of the new additions to your set-up is Food, a label you run alongside the guys from Kry Wolf. Why did you decide to join forces? We both had our own labels, Sumo Sound and Televizion. We were walking similar paths at the time and ended up trying to sign the same artists. We’re friends and eventually decided it would be best if we joined forces. I think Food sits alongside labels like Pets, Hypercolour and NakedNaked, but I hope we can add to the pack with our own thing. I certainly think we can all work together without taking away from each other’s musical assets. I really hope that's the case anyway! TRAP_What do you think it is about this group of labels and their output that attracts such a wide audience? In terms of my Shadow Child output, I think it seems to ride the line between underground and 'over-accessible' music, for want of a better word. As time goes on, that line gets thinner so we'll see how long it lasts, but I think we're all in a good place with it at the moment. I'm always stoked to see lots of people playing my stuff, but I think the appeal is maybe in the simplicity. I get sent so much stunningly produced underground music that's intelligent and always pushes limits, but at the end of the day people just want to dance. I guess my music does that more than it offers something too clever that might go over people’s heads. TRAP_It’s interesting you say that, because we’ve always thought there are similarities between your music and Armand Van Helden’s early output… Yeah it totally has. I mean Armand's sound back then was also a fusion of D&B and house, so there are definitely similarities. I just hope everyone stays cool with the direction… Shadow Child's ‘The Only One’ features on the ‘dirtybird Players’ compilation, released on 13 March.
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Just The Beginning WORDS:
Jon Cook
PHOTOS:
Laura Lewis
T
hey say everything in life goes in circles. To anyone with a passing interest in the evolution of electronic music, the last couple of decades have proven this maxim right time and time again. Who would have thought, back in the glory days of dubstep or D&B that in the early years of this Millennium’s second decade the underground would again be dominated by a sound many had long dismissed as the shallow and commercially driven soundtrack of chain clubs and wine bars?
We are, of course, talking about house music; a genre whose renaissance over recent years has injected a fresh, more refined dynamism into a dance music world increasingly tired of the sonic intensity fostered by the genres that dominated the UK dance underground for much of the last decade. This isn’t, however, house music as you probably knew it before... The sound dominating UK dancefloors and internet radio isn’t the thin, simplistic tones and handbag vocals pushed by tacky radio DJs and even worse super clubs, which provided the reference point for house music to many over the last 15 years. This is house music in the original spirit of the sound and made by a generation who grew up listening to garage, dubstep, hip-hop and D&B, and as such this new take on dance music’s oldest genre has groove, vibes and, most importantly, bass in spades. At the forefront of this quiet revolution is Maya Jane Coles, a tiny 25-year-old Londoner with a massive talent, whose DJ sets and unshakable productions have switched a whole generation on to the slower-paced charms of house and, in the process, made her into one dance music’s biggest stars. Since the release of her game-changing ‘What They Say ’ EP in 2010, the diminutive DJ has won more awards and graced more magazine front covers than many of her peers can dream of in their entire careers. With the release of her debut album just weeks away, Trap knew the time had come to feature Maya on our front cover, to help kick off a year in which things are set to go from big to huge for the young Londoner. In the midst of her manic schedule, Miss Coles found time to sit with us and we set about getting to the bottom of her incredible, rapid rise to the top and discovering that there’s a hell of a lot more to her than just house music...
36
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
“No one ever said pop music needs to be shit.”
TRAP_Hi Maya, lovely to meet you. We guess the best place for us to start is with your album... “Everything’s finished now for the album, but I still don’t have the title; I’m quite last minute with things and the worst thing is always naming tracks! But it’s done, and should be out end of March, so not long now. It’s all full-vocal, song-based, electronic stuff – quite different to the club-based tracks people will have heard from me in the past. I’ve got five or six different featured vocalists on there, but the rest of it is all my own vocals.”
TRAP_So when was your house music epiphany? “When I was younger, I was lucky enough to meet people that took me to the right nights; parties like Mulletover and Secretsundaze that were happening in London and very fresh at the time. I remember going and thinking ‘This isn’t what I thought house music was.’ Because what I’d heard until then was very commercial stuff on the radio. From there I just got deeper into it, going to more nights, seeking out what I really liked.”
“It’s been an on-going project for a long time; a couple of the tracks on there are actually around four years old! I’m just really excited though, because, like I said, it’s more than what people might expect of me; I didn’t get into music through club music, I made so many different types of music before I got into house and techno, so it’s all my influences and inspirations translated into sound, I guess.”
TRAP_You were ahead of the curve, treading a path from more bass-driven UK sounds to house and techno that many didn’t come to until years later... “House is very fashionable now. The change I’ve seen is that house has become a lot more accepted with a wider audience. When I was in Sixth Form, I was listening to house, but most of my friends my age weren’t listening to house music or going to house nights. That’s really evolved now, because if you speak to people that are 16 or 17 in London, a lot of young people are listening to that music. And the genre has expanded; it’s such a broad term, anyway.”
TRAP_So, it’s an artist album, a Maya Jane Coles album; not just a collection of house club bangers? “Yes. This is just what I’ve always done, and I feel like I’m at a stage now where I’m happy to let the rest of the world hear it.”
TRAP_Can you tell us more about the features on there? Any production collaborations, or is it all just you? “I’ve done all the production; I don’t tend to collaborate with many producers because I usually have quite a clear vision of what I want a track to sound like. But I love working with guest vocalists, so there’s a few on there. There’s Kim Ann Foxman from Hercules and Love Affair, Miss Kittin, Karin Park – who has done the vocals for the lead single from the album ‘Everything’ - and Tricky, which I’m particularly excited about. People who I was inspired by growing up and looked up to, or people that are new on the scene but have excited me; it’s nice to have a mixture.” TRAP_You just mentioned Tricky – we couldn’t help but notice a real Mezzanine-era Massive Attack sound to the track ‘Back To Square One’ on the recent taster EP for the album... “Oh definitely, that whole Bristol sound, trip-hop - it was a big part of how I got into production. That was one of my first music passions. I guess when I started making music, that sound was my biggest inspiration. I did a remix a while back for Tricky and it was his favourite remix of the package, so I asked him to guest and he was totally up for it.” TRAP_You’re obviously keen to stress that the album is much more than just house music, and is the sum of your many influences... Other than dub and trip-hop, what other inspirations lie behind the project? “When I got into production, I pretty much dabbled in everything and anything. If I discovered a new genre or tune I liked, I’d have a go at my own take on it. It helped growing up in London, because there are so many parties and different things going on. You’re spoilt for choice and exposed to everything from such a young age. From garage and drum & bass, to dubstep, house and techno...
“The whole dubstep sound when it first started, when it was very different to now, that led me on to different sounds. I discovered house music not long after, and it was the first thing I really started going out to. But hip-hop, that was the music that first really got me, when I was 14 or 15, Missy Elliot, Timberland, Pharcyde, Digable Planets, Tribe Called Quest – 1990s hip-hop is a massive passion for me.”
TRAP_Would you agree that it’s not just the audience for house that’s changed, but the music too? The music you and many others are making has a real focus on the bass... “There’s definitely an influence from what’s been before; you can hear the garage, bass-driven roots coming back into the currency. And when dubstep went crazy and mainstream; the producers that were producing the more leftfield stuff, a lot of them floated over to house and crossed over, so that was sort of a stepping stone. “On my album, you’ll definitely hear the club influences; it’s very bassy, so I guess there’s a lot of dub influence in there. My tracks generally revolve around the bassline - I play bass as well -but still, I wouldn’t say it was any one genre. It’s just electronic. I don’t like talking about genres too much. Ultimately, you make music. I don’t like labelling and creating sub genres on top of sub genres; good music is good music.” TRAP_And that attitude applies to your album too? “Yeah exactly; I wouldn’t be able to specify what genre the album is. I’m influenced by so many different things and this final record is a collage of all of that. I want it to be universal music; hopefully the dance music world will embrace it, but I want it to be accepted in the more poppy market too. I like writing catchy hooks; no one ever said pop music needs to be shit, pop is just popular music, if it’s good and catchy, it can be pop – it doesn’t need to be in your face typical radio chart stuff.” TRAP_You previously released dubstep under the Nocturnal Sunshine name, while the Maya Jane Coles moniker has been very much all about house. But this album seems to combine the two... “Nocturnal Sunshine was a name created for a specific sound – that deeper dubstep sound. Maya Jane Coles was and is everything I do, I don’t want boundaries for that name; whatever I produce comes out under that name.” TRAP_So it’s just you. As the name of your record label, I Am Me, through which this LP is being released, suggests. “I never thought, ‘I want to start record label.’ I purely set it up as a platform to release my own stuff, because I didn’t want to sign it to anyone else and be part of someone else’s brand. I just thought, ‘I’ve built something for myself and I’ve got here myself, so I want to keep it that way and not give up my rights.’ It’s a hell of a lot more work, but it’s totally worth it.”
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
037
Maya Jane Coles
“ I m a k e m u s i c , i t c o m e s o u t n a t u r a l l y. I don’t want to think about what’s selling.”
TRAP_The album is on your own label, you produced every track, you sang vocals; we heard you did the artwork too... You’re an army of one! “Yeah, I wanted that total creative control. My dad designed artworks for musicians; he did the album covers for the punk band Killing Joke. I was always around creative people and musicians growing up. I’ve always loved painting, illustration, photography – but nothing has ever come before music, that’s always been the passion. It’s hard, because you have to really focus on one thing to get good at it; music is the main thing for now. In the future, though, when I’ve got more time I’d love to pick up on the other things. I love doing big canvases, painting weird creatures and illustrations.””
TRAP_The last 18 months have seen massive amounts of attention bestowed on you, and you’re now one of the biggest names in a scene that’s nearly as old as you are. How have the house and techno veterans been towards this young girl from London rolling in? “A lot of the people I play alongside are ten or even 20 years older on than me. But everyone I’ve come across has been amazing. It’s funny when you meet people you’ve known about for a long time and looked up to; it was quite surreal the first year of playing big gigs and being billed amongst DJs I know have been around for 20 years. “But when you’re new to the scene, you do need to know your roots, so I’ve spent time catching up. But if I’m honest, I spend more time creating what I do than taking in the outside scene; I don’t watch trends and when I’m making music I like to keep my mind blocked from all that, because I don’t want to be influenced by what’s hot. I make music, it comes out naturally. I don’t want to think about what’s selling.”
TRAP_We’ve left the elephant in the room until last;
38
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
but we had to draw attention to the fact you’re a woman sooner or later... Female producers are rarer than honest politicians; why do you think there are so few? “I really don’t know. I guess production is a technical thing and that puts some girls off. There are a lot of girls that DJ and treat it as hobby, but who, I guess, haven’t pushed it. I’d love to see more girls get into it; it’s definitely a geeky thing, music production, I just happened to fall into it when I was young. I loved music and discovering that I could make it myself; that was all I ever wanted to do. “It’s amazing being in the position I am now, where I get messages on facebook every day from young female producers saying I’ve inspired them to get into it more, there are a lot out there...”
TRAP_And finally, after the year you had in 2012, winning countless awards and headlining the most respected clubs in the world, and with your album about to drop, is the ambition really still burning like it was when you were just a girl making beats in your room? “Definitely. I’ve only just reached a tiny, tiny part of what I’m aiming for; I’ve got a lot of bigger ambitions; I’ve got a lot further to go from here. Even within music, I want to do so much more. This is the beginning.”
Maya Jane Coles’ debut album is out in March on I Am Me. Catch her touring this summer and at Eastern Electrics Festival in August.
mayajanecoles.com
WE WILL NOT HARM YOU D
uring the late 1980s and 90s, as he was beginning to take his first steps as a producer with Soul II Soul and London Posse, Tony Campbell, aka Dobie, was also busy documenting the youth sub-cultures of the time around the capital and beyond. To tie in with the release of his solo album for Big Dada, February saw an exhibition at 18 Hewett Street in Shoreditch of the photographs Dobie captured during that era. The exhibition was sub-titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Skaters, Rappers, Breakers & DJs, 1989-1992â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and each image is a precious time-capsule of the fashions and fads of the day. As soon as we saw them, we at Trap just had to get our hands on some of the images to print in this very magazine. We hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we did.
KEEPING THE PULSE Youngstar
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
047
TRAP_Of all your productions, you’re best known for ‘Pulse X’. How did the track come about? Did you have a specific idea in mind when you were making it? Pulse X came about by experimenting on an 808 music software program; there was no specific idea in the making of the track. TRAP_Did you have any idea of how big the track was going to be when you made it? No, I had no idea. It was saved in the PC for over a year before I showed anyone, but I realised how big it was when I heard it over 10 times a day every time I turned on the radio!
I
n a climate in which music is hyped, consumed and forgotten at an alarming rate, it’s testament to the lasting impact of grime forefather Youngstar ’s productions that they can still regularly be heard reverberating through club soundsystems ten years on from their release, whether you know it or not. As the producer behind seminal grime anthem ‘Pulse X’, Youngstar is credited with creating what’s often considered to be the first-ever grime track, igniting a new wave of innovation out of the ashes of UK Garage as it morphed into something altogether darker. Its sparse 808 snares and iconic pulse-bass sound would go on to inform the direction of the nascent genre and spawn waves of imitators in its wake, a trend that continues to this day. All of this, though, is just the tip of the iceberg from a producer whose extensive back catalogue includes a slew of other hits such as ‘Bongo’, ‘Revival’, ‘Formula’ and famously Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Stand Up Tall’. While others from that era have since fallen off, Youngstar remains as prolific and hungry as ever. With a new EP of remixes of ‘Pulse X’ due for release via the Liminal Sounds label, Trap managed to grab a rare interview with Youngstar to discuss how he started making beats, the legacy of ‘Pulse X’ and the future of grime… TRAP_So when did you start producing and who was inspiring you at the time? I started producing in 1998. My inspiration then was jungle and drum & bass producers like Shy FX, Mampi Swift and Andy C, as well as house and garage producers like TuffJam, Todd Edwards, MDubs and Wookie. I started off using a Yamaha keyboard.
TRAP_Around that time, you were extremely prolific. Do you have any personal favourite tracks of yours? Perhaps ones that are not so well known? My personal favourites are ‘The Formula’, ‘Formula 3’ and ‘Bongo’. My other favourites that are not as well known are ‘Dimension X’, ‘Darkside Remix’ and ‘The Bongcat Riddim’. TRAP_The video of you showing how you made ‘Pulse X’ has racked up tens of thousands of views on YouTube. Why did you decide to upload it? Because it shows the real way behind how I first produced the track and the technique I used, which was only the first step. It was also to squash the rumour that it was made on a Playstation. TRAP_You’re most known for your instrumentals, but in the past you have worked with MCs such as Sway and Dizzee Rascal. Are you still working with MCs? Are there any that you would like to work with? I still work with the best MCs, and I only would like to work with the best. If there are any out there who I’ve not worked with and they like my sound, then they gotta holla at me. TRAP_The grime scene is very different to how it was 10 years ago when ‘Pulse X’ came out. Do you think that things are looking positive in grime at the moment? The scene is positive at the moment, all those tracks from 10 years ago can still be played and there are good vibes wherever and whenever they’re played in the clubs, on radio at home and in the street. TRAP_Are you working on much new music at the moment? Can we expect any releases coming this year? There will be lots of new releases coming out, keep a check on my label website www.ddjsproductions.co.uk - the links are there to my YouTube and Soundcloud page to hear the latest news and releases. Youngstar ‘Pulse X Remixes’ is out now on Liminal Sounds
www.ddjsproductions.com
S p r i n g
N o i r
Step into the season with transitional monochrome and athletic lines.
Adam Robertso n Kasha Malyckyj ASSISTED BY: Tazmin Osborne Sanders HAIR AND MAKE UP: Rebecca Ryther MODELS: Veronika at Boo kings Models PHOTOGRAPHY: STYLED BY:
Veronika wears ASOS £15 www.aso s.com TROUSERS: Nike £45 SHOES: Nike £95 www.nike.com BODY:
Motel £45 Motel £28 www.motelro cks.com SHOES: Nike £105 SWEATSHIRT: SKIRT:
Stylist's own Monki £20 www.mo nki.com
VINTAGE VERSACE JACKET:
TROUSERS:
Stussy www.stu ssy.co m TROUSERS: Topshop £38 www.topshop.com JACKET: Zara £39.99 www.zara.com BAG: stylist's own T SHIRT:
T SHIRT: Topshop £20 American Apparel £50 www.americanapparel.net SHOES: Nike £130
SHORTS:
ÂŁ49 The Whitepepper www.thewhitepepper.com SHOES: As before DRESS:
Stylist's own £65 The Whitepepper As before
VINTAGE MOSCHINO SHIRT: DUNGAREES: SHOES:
T SHIRT:
JACKET: Nike £60 Motel Vintage at To pshop £25 TROUSERS: Nike £45 SHOES: Zara £39.99
For the first in a new regular series of features looking at the record labels that are t h e l i f e b l o o d o f t h e s c e n e s w e l o v e , Tr a p trekked over to an East London rooftop to meet up with one of dubstepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest labels...
DUB POLICE
Dub Police
D
ubstep. Wow, how you’ve changed. In just a handful of years, what was once the most underground of UK sounds has mutated into the biggest and bolshiest adolescent on the bass-music block. Huge venues, American superstars, daytime radio support... no one would have predicted any of this back in those early smoke-filled, dubplate-driven sessions at FWD>>. And while the dubstep scene of today may seem unrecognisable at first to those who saw its birth, certain names, labels and dances have endured and kept true to their origins, and, in doing so, built unimaginably huge fanbases across the globe. Caspa and his Dub Police label is one such immovable institution. Launched back in 2005 just as the half-step, sub-driven style that came to typify the genre was taking root, releases from L-Wiz, N-Type, Caspa and the then almost unknown Rusko quickly established Dub Police as one of dubstep’s leading forces. In the seven years since, that reputation has been bolstered at every turn, with a stream of landmark and hugely varied EPs, albums and 12s from an evolving camp of artists, benefitting from Caspa’s unwavering support, no matter how much his own career took off. And that’s not even to mention the roadblock bi-monthly raves at London’s Fabric... With the recent release of the debut album from the label’s most consistent son, The Others, and the addition of a couple of new hot talents to the core family of artists, it’s clear Dub Police has no plans on slowing down. Trap made our way over to Brick Lane to meet with the full crew and find out more from not just Caspa, but Trolley Snatcha, Subscape, The Others, Dirty Dog and Mydas, about one of bass-music’s most important imprints. Sitting in the label’s HQ, hidden away among the complex of offices within the Truman Brewery building, with a huge cabinet of merchandise towering over us on one side and a bank of blinking computer screens on the other, Caspa sets about filling us in on everything Dub Police... TRAP_How did the label first start? 2001 was when I first found the sound and scene. Listening to garage and Sidewinder tape-packs, I’d hear Slimzee dropping a lot of the darker garage and early grime, and then I started going FWD>> when it was at Velvet Rooms. I got attached to the sound, found that club-night and just stuck with it. I found it all fascinating and I always just wanted to start a label and put out the stuff I liked. I started Storming Productions in 2003, which was more for the breakstep sound; DJ Narrows, Search & Destroy; all that stuff. And then, the sound started getting dubbier; you were hearing people like Hatcha playing the Digital Mystikz stuff, and I wanted to start another label that catered to the half-step, more dubbed-out sound. So I started Dub police. Then I had two different options to put out music from one scene, and I started looking for artists. The plan with the label was to get the music myself, play it out and on radio (I had my
06 0
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Rinse show as Quiet Storm at the time), and the stuff that I got the best feedback on, or I was into most, I’d just put it out. It wasn’t about named artists; it was just about good music. That was the foundation for it. I was always down for finding the next big artist. So with Dub Police, we had L-Wiz from Sweden early on, then N-Type put out his first release on the label, and then Rusko came along. He was living in Leeds, and moved to London and was living round the corner from me. He signed to the label and I put out all his first releases. And then, as I was working with Rusko, I started Sub Soldiers just for me and him to put our own music out on, because we had so much of it and we were blowing up at that point. I had three labels, but Dub Police took the reins at that point; putting out good music from up-and-coming producers. That’s how I’ve always kept it since. Trolley Snatcha came along, then The Others and Subscape – getting these artists at a really early stage and trying to develop them to have their own sound and identity. It was the same with Emalkay. TRAP_So A&R is a real passion for you? Yeah, I love it. To be honest, the whole behind-the-scenes crap is what I hate. Like everyone, I just want to do the good stuff – listen to great music, play it, and put it out. That’s what it’s always been about, those basic rules. It’s never been about money. It has always been about the music, without the music we are nothing. Putting out good quality music, that’s the bottom line. Now, because of that, I think Dub Police has really got its own sound and style. Also, it’s the only label that I know in the whole of the UK that has its own regular bi-monthly night. And it’s at Fabric, one of the best clubs in the world. So it’s gone from literally me in my bedroom, borrowing money off my nan and Marcel who works at the label now to put the first release out, to having this office, that club-night and a great team of artists on the label. And we’re the first and only dubstep label to have a tour night in Ibiza, and have toured the USA three times! TRAP_As your own career gathered pace, were you not tempted to focus on yourself rather than the label? “Well, I spotted early on that if you’ve got your own label, that’s gonna be your foundation. So even if you’re quiet as a producer, you’re still gonna be getting recognised through what’s coming out on the label. I realised it was important by looking at what Andy C, Goldie and Hype were doing. I looked at them and thought, ‘All these guys have got their own labels, so not only do they get the music first, when they’re quiet and not doing much, the label is constantly pushing their name.’ I realised that was the way to go. Because, I’m not gonna lie, I am not the most talented musician; I am more of a beats and bass person to be honest. However, I do have an ear for spotting a good track or new talent; that’s a real passion of mine. So, for me, it was important to have something that I could put all my heart into and bounce off constantly. And because it’s my baby, I’m always gonna stick with it. TRAP_And the label is still growing. You recently signed another couple of fresh artists in Mydas and Dirty Dog... It’s always been about signing people that want to work with the label. I’ve had many opportunities to sign people and keep them locked into the label. But that’s not what I want to do. I’m
Dub Police
just trying to put out good music. Because of that, I only like to work with people who want to put the energy back. If you’re willing to work with us and be loyal to us, we’re willing to put the time and effort into you in return. And that’s how it works; it’s a little family. We’ve got the key artists Subscape, Trolley Snatcha, myself and The Others, and then we’ve got two new guys Dirty Dog and Mydas. And then outside of that, we’ve got some new artists we’re watching; Oiki, Ethic and Variations. But those five are our key artists. Any night, they will always play. They’re our focus and priority. It’s more of a family than a label; everyone helps each other and it’s a really nice environment. The Others, Alex, he’s been with us since the start, so anything he wants to do, I’ll always try and make it happen for him, because the loyalty is there. TRAP_You lot do seem to genuinely all get on well... It’s just all about keeping cool and having a laugh. If you start taking things too seriously, what’s the point? It’s always been about jokes – I’ve always done stuff for that, some of my music is just a joke that turned out to be fun. The whole Caspa name was a joke; I started it for a joke. I had my show on Rinse under the name Quiet Storm; it was when I heard that dubbier sound, I thought, ‘OK, let me try a little thing’. I gave Hatcha a CD with some of the dubbier stuff I’d been doing and he started playing them down FWD>> and that! I was like ‘I only did it for a laugh!’ It’s funny how things happen like that. That’s the best way; just do it. When you starting taking things too seriously in this industry... Well, you’ve just got to keep it
fun, otherwise why you doing it? TRAP_Dub Police is now nine years deep... What’s next? The next thing is to develop the artists into doing some albums. The Others has just put his album, and then mine is coming in April, titled Alpha Omega, and then it’s just about developing artists into doing more than just singles, but EP projects and then albums. For now, it’s all about concentrating on what we’ve got. It’s so easy to keep looking and looking, but we’ve got so much talent within the label now, it’s just about developing it all. And then there are the nights; we want to get back in the flow of doing more than just Fabric. That night is great, we do six a year and I think there’s only been one I can remember we didn’t sell out in advance. The Dub Police brand is big in America and we’ve done two tours as a label over there, which no other UK label had done before, as well as various European shows, so it would be nice to showcase things further afield. Like I said, it’s concentrating on the talent we’ve got; that’s what it’s all about.
The Others’ debut LP ‘Red Planet’ is out now. Watch out for Caspa’s ‘Alpha Omega’ LP in April. With thanks to Gary J.
www.dubpolice.com
“It has always been about the music, without the music we are nothing.”
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
061
Dub Police
MYDAS LONDON AGE: 23
TROLLEY SNATCHA MILTON KEYNES AGE: 25 Embodying the essence of the label’s crazier side, the man with the ridiculous name makes music that destroys dancefloors...
ON DUB POLICE: About three years ago, I sent a few tunes over the internet to The Others. Apparently, they played one of them at a rave, Caspa was in the building and heard it. I got a phone call from him the next day saying he wanted to put out a 12. I’d been writing electronic music for a while, trying to break into a few different scenes. It was something I really wanted. I was working at a pub when I got the phone call, and I remember leaving the bar and running out the back. My manager was pissed, but I had to take that call. Before I was on the label, it was the one I respected the most, it was the label I wanted to be on. So it’s a privilege to be where I am. It’s a family unit on Dub Police, the decisions are made in-house. It’s all about career building and learning how to do it as a full-time job as long as possible. ON CASPA: I’d been into dubstep for years; a friend of mine had got me into the darker garage sounds back in the day, but when the Caspa & Rusko FabricLIVE came out, that hit me. It leapt out at me, because I’d always preferred dancefloor, aggressive sounding music over the melancholy head-nodding stuff. To be writing and releasing music on the same label as those guys, that was a buzz man. It was odd; it was something I wanted to do and it happened so quickly. It was a couple of months from starting to write these dubstep tunes and them getting accepted by Caspa. Mad. THE FUTURE: I’m currently working on finishing the follow up to my last release, the ‘SubText’ EP. I think it will just be called ‘Subtext 2’. There’s not much to finish, and I’ve just upgraded my studio so there’s a lot up in the air right now. Hopefully it will be out before the summer. It’s gonna sound, hopefully, like a connection to the last EP, but with a lot more experimentation, stuff that people perhaps wouldn’t have heard under the Trolley Snatcha moniker.
062
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
One the latest additions to the Dub Police family, Caspa describes Mydas as a man that brings ‘a bit of peace to the label’. Having announced himself with the ‘What I Do’ EP last year, watch out for more in 2013... ON DUB POLICE: To me, it’s the best possible way to put out music I enjoy making. I don’t have to think about a particular sound or market; I can just focus on making music that I like. The label is so supportive; I’m giving that freedom to shape things how I want. I like epic, emotional sounds and the label has given me the freedom to express that. ON CASPA: He’s the boss, someone I massively look up to. When I first got into dubstep in 2007, I was listening to Caspa, Rusko, Skream... So to be on this label now, it’s an honour. THE FUTURE: I’ve got an LP coming out in a few months time; I’m just trying to finish off the tracks for that right now. I want it to cover as vast a range of sounds and styles as it can within the tempo boundaries of dubstep; take an eclectic approach and be musical, not just mundane noise.
DIRTY DOG KENT AGE: 26 The newest member of the team, Dirty Dog smashed his way to the front with the ‘Doggy Style’ EP in 2012. Caspa calls him the ‘rookie of the year ’ – expect big things for his sophomore season. ON DUB POLICE: It means so much for me to be on Dub Police; I’ve spent the last three years trying to perfect my sound and get the attention of the big dubstep labels. Dub Police was a label I always dreamed of getting on, so I’m happy to have achieved that goal. Everyone on the label has their own sound, so now I want to bring something different too. ON CASPA: I've been a fan of Caspa for years, so it’s an honour to be working for the guy and with such great team. The support I've had from the Dub Police has been brilliant, considering I've only been on the label a short time, I feel like I’ve found my home in the music industry. THE FUTURE: I'm looking to get an album completed over the next year or two, along with regular single releases on the label. Hopefully, I'll collaborate with some of the other label artists, too.
Dub Police
SUBSCAPE
THE OTHERS
WOKING AGE: 24
LONDON AGE: 25
Adding his own unique flavour to the Dub Police pie, Subscape has been an essential part of the label’s core team since 2008. Watch out for his addition to the label’s ‘My Style’ mix series coming soon...
Dub Police’s longest-serving member, The Others has been integral in helping define the label during his six years onboard. His debut album, ‘Red Planet’ has just dropped.
ON DUB POLICE: It started for me about five years ago, when I was doing a music production course at the ATM in Guildford with Alex (The Others).
ON DUB POLICE: I’ve been on Dub Police pretty much since the start. It’s weird for me because when The Others first started, the label I had in mind was Dub Police. Those early tunes from L-Wiz, Caspa and N-Type, I was really feeling that sound and I could already see the label taking its own plot in the scene. I sent a demo to Caspa, he called me back and that was that.
The Others had just had his release on Dub Police, so I thought I’d have a go at making some dubstep. ‘Badman’ and ‘Transaction’ were the first tunes I made, and Alex sent them to Caspa. It rolled from there. I was taken aback when I got that call; Dub Police was such a big label to me. That was my big break; it’s given me so many opportunities, doing singles, EPs, playing at the nights and now doing the ‘My Style’ mix for the label. It’s been amazing. ON CASPA: Before I signed, Caspa was at the forefront of the whole dubstep thing to me. I was over the moon about him wanting to sign my music. When Alex had his first release, I pushed him to send Caspa my tune, because I didn’t have any other contacts. I started doing the DJ course at first, just because I didn’t because I didn’t know what else to do when I came out of school. But it worked out for me, and Caspa has obviously been a huge part of that. THE FUTURE: I’m doing the next ‘My Style’ mix for the label, which will be the third instalment. Caspa did the first and D1 the second, so there are big shoes for me to fill.
For me, it’s been crazy to watch how the label has evolved. The artists that have come and gone, the huge releases, it’s mad to see how things have developed from such a small operation. Now there’s a great bunch of artists, albums, tours, fabric – it’s nice. It feels great to have been a part of that. ON CASPA: When I joined, both the label was still trying to find its space and set itself within the bigger picture. Me and Caspa just clicked early on, we had the same mentality. His vision for the label was something I’d pictured too. We were on the same wave length. Over the years we’ve become good mates. He’ll help me out with anything I’m stuck on, music or otherwise. He’s grown into a good mate. Even if I wasn’t an artist, I’d still want to be involved in the label; it’s something I really care about.
Everybody on the label has their own sound, there are similarities, but there’s distinct styles and identities to all the producers. The whole point of ‘My Style’ is to show off mine; showcase my music, a lot of my older stuff is on there, but I’ve also spent a lot of time writing new stuff just for this mix.
THE FUTURE: I’ve just started to write some new stuff, after finishing the album. I’ve written some tracks at different tempos for the first time; some house bits, experimenting with a few things. I loved working with vocals on the album so I want to do more of that.
Also, I’m touring America in April. We all went out there last year, so I’m going out again by myself and show what I’m doing right now. And I’ve got an EP that will feature some of the tunes that I wrote specially for the My Style mix, and more gigs all over Europe. I’m excited.
I just want to keep on evolving my sound really – I’m only going to get better as a producer, so I’m always trying to outdo my last project. There’s no point going backwards, I need to feel like I’m moving forward. I wouldn’t change anything about the label or my place in it.
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
063
13
S W I T C H S T U D I O S
B
eing based in Bristol and London, the two centres for the UK’s graff and street-art scene, we know we’re a little bit southern biased when it comes to the art we rep in Trap. To put that right, this issue we cast a light on the Switch Studios collective up in Nottingham.
The self-funded studios house the Shrunken Heads gallery, run by Kid30 (smallkid), Boaster and Ging, which regularly hosts shows from the city’s finest and beyond. Here are some images of the crew’s work on walls around Nottingham, and if you’re in the Midlands, search out their facebook page for info on upcoming shows.
Switch Studios & Shrunken Heads Gallery, 1 7a Huntingdon Street, Nottingham.
Ging / Kid30 / Boaster
13
Shady / Mono
Boaster
Kid30
Onga / Boaster
Boaster
Kid30 / Boaster
M U S I C R EV I EWS REVIEWED BY: OLI GRANT, MATT RICHES, SEAN KELLY, JUSTIN IRIAJEN, LEYLA EROGLU, SOPHIE THOMAS, DJ DUBBOY, GWYN THOMAS DECHROUSTCHOFF, JERYL WILTON, SAM BATES.
BASS GUIDE:
DRUM & BASS
DUBSTEP
HOUSE/TECHNO
GRIME
DANCEHALL/REGGAE
FABRICLIVE 68 Calibre (Fabric) This is the third consecutive issue that Trap has featured a FABRICLIVE mix as our lead review. But there’s no bias or paid-for advertorial at play here; what else were we supposed to do when a mix from one of dance music’s most enigmatic figures landed on our desk, but give it the fanfare and attention it deserves? Dominick Martin, or Calibre as he’s more usually known, is that figure, and edition 68 of the FABRICLIVE series is that mix. And what a mix it is; delivering everything that’s good about drum & bass over 21 perfectly placed and chosen tracks, mostly from the Irishman’s own stunning back catalogue. This is the first mix CD that Calibre has ever done and it’s clear that, like with everything he does, this isn’t a project he rushed out or squeezed together in a spare couple of hours. Packed predominantly with his own productions and remixes from across the decade-plus he’s been releasing music, this is a true representation of the sets Calibre has been playing at Fabric all these years. There are too many magnificent moments here to mention them all – but from the opening swoon of his collaboration with DRS on ‘Keep The Faith’, through his dreamy reworking of Zero T’s seminal ‘Refusal’, to the closing snarl of the wickedly named ‘Student Music’, this is the Calibre mix we’d all been waiting for.
T R ATPRM GA C EO. .CUOK. U K06905 7 AA PM A ZGIANZEI.N
EXPERIENCE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND GET EDUCATED IN CUTTING EDGE FACILITIES
Music and Media Industry courses and degrees in Music Production, DJ, Performance, Live Sound and Radio Production. // dbsmusic.co.uk
// 01752 210801
// BRISTOL // CORNWALL // PLYMOUTH
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
M U S I C R E V I E W S 13
071
XXXY ‘Got Me So’ EP (Rinse)
RENE LAVICE
‘Insidious’ (Ram) It's testament to the global appeal of drum & bass that many of the genre’s most exciting producers now hail from beyond these shores. The latest overseas D&B talent comes in the shape of Canadian bass-monger Rene La Vice; a relative unknown a year ago his debut album is sure to change that forever. With a style that’s rooted firmly in the dancefloor, 'Insidious' is sonically hard hitting and abrasive. Tracks such as the twisted roller 'Perfect World' and weighty stomper 'Thorax' owe more than a passing nod to Ram’s signature sound of the late 1990s. The producer’s insular influences are recurrent theme but he avoids becoming overly nostalgic, as each track maintains a contemporary and creative edge.
FUNCTION ‘Incubation’ (Ostgut Ton) When it comes to techno, you can always rely on Berlin powerhouse Ostgut Ton to deliver the goods. 'Incubation' from Sandwell Districts’ Function is no exception. The brooding ambience and sub-aquatic bleeps of 'Voiceprint' and 'Inter' sit alongside more rugged, hypnotic moments. Hollow percussion and static hiss collide on 'Modifier' and things get wavey as the rippling acid lines of 'Psychic Warfare' start to burrow into your psyche.
Ri ns e rel e a se s th e much an ti ci pate d ‘Go t Me So ’ E P f ro m Ma ncu n ia n p ro d ucer a n d b as s -mus i c ho t to pi c, XX X Y. Kn o wn to s ome a s Rup er t Ta yl or, X XXY h as l i ved up to the hype a nd hi s rece n t w or l dw id e bo o ki n gs w i th thi s E P. Bri ngi ng cri s p p ro du ctio n a nd over l y s o u l fu l s amp le s , ‘Got Me So’ i s w he re gara ge mee ts a ci d h ous e. Both cur ren t a nd humbl y n o s ta l gi c, th i s i s a cl ea r s te p fo rw ard fo r X XX Y.
BUSY SIGNAL ‘Bedroom Bully’ (Turf Music) Jamaican dancehall is all the better for Busy Signal’s timely release from jail, as his output since regaining freedom just keeps proving. ‘Bedroom Bully’ is perhaps the pick of his recent voicings. Riding a heavy, yet minimal classic ragga beat, Busy’s unique vocal flow takes the track to new heights and leaves the listener in no doubt of his prowess in the bedroom. Not subtle, but great fun! This is classic dancehall material.
VIVEK 'Asteroids EP' (System Music) System has impeccably preserved the deep-rooted, original dubstep ethos at its stellar events. The evolution to record label was an inevitable progression and helmed by VIVEK, the imprint now presents the sub-sonic depth of his long-awaited ‘Asteroids’ to inaugurate its presence. The track’s seismic vibrations are graced by a haunting vocal version on the flip, together with Om Unit's sharp halfstepping 170bpm refix to round off a monster debut for the label.
VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘Friends Will Carry You Home Too’ (Pets Recordings) With a name like Catz n Dogz it’s not surprising that the latest compilation on the duo’s Pets Recordings imprint comes in two halves. One of the labels at the forefront of the bass-heavy house sound that’s dominating dancefloors right now, the idea of this album is to show there’s a lot more to Pets than just that. On the one CD, you’ve got the kind of rhythmic basslines and intense house flavours that you’d find in the club and, on the other, bedroom listening bliss, with producers you would expect, doing things you wouldn’t. Highlights here come from the illimitable Uffe and Sheffield’s fast-rising Squarehead. Both at opposite ends of the dance-music spectrum but so close on quality.
IVY LAB ‘Afterthought’ / ‘Brat’ (Critical) This release sees the combined talents of Sabre, Halogenix and Stray again come together under their new Ivy Lab moniker. The result is breathtaking. Frank Carter III provides the poignant and soulful vocals to ‘Afterthought’; one of the most powerfully emotive pieces of music we’ve heard this year. ‘Brat’ on the flip is a straight-up dark and moody club stomper.
M U S I C R E V I E W S 13
072
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
OPTIV & CZA ‘Bring It Back’ / ‘Don’t Look now’ (SGN LTD)
THE OTHERS ‘Red Planet’ (Dub Police) After six years of releasing music, Dub Police’s most prolific producer drops his long-awaited debut album for Caspa’s label. After announcing himself on the dubstep scene with the seminal ‘Africa’, The Others (then operating as a duo, but now just Alex Crawford) has consistently turned out some of Dub Police’s biggest tracks, and cemented himself at the core of that label and the wider dubstep world. It’s this status that’s enabled Crawford to recruit an impressive set of collaborators for ‘Red Planet’, including Breakage, Joker, Stamina and Emalkay. And the music is just as impressive, offering 12 faultlessly engineered tracks packed with varying textures, grooves and rhythms. Much more than just the collection of club tracks you might expect, this is an impressive debut from a producer clearly enjoying what he does.
TRADESMAN FT PARLY B ‘In A Competition’ (Scotch Bonnet Up-and-coming dancehall producer Tradesman, teams up with Parly B for their debut 7" on Mungo's Hi-Fi’s Scotch Bonnet label. The results are top draw. The riddim is an early-90s style digital production, with some proper weighty bass and a wonderfully loose groove. Parly B's unique delivery really makes this stand out well above the usual digital dancehall fare. A highly promising debut and definitely ones to watch.
Optiv & CZA are best known for their role in groundbreaking collective Cause 4 Concern. Given their background, SGN:LTD is a worthy home for their talents. ‘Bring It Back’ annihilates dances, with a breakdown reminiscent of J Majik’s ‘The Lizard’ making way for a monster reverberating drop. ‘Don’t Look Now’ on the flip sees the duo move into hard-edged rolling mode.
PREDITAH ‘Gears Of Grime’ (Earth 616) Birmingham grime don Preditah kicks off 2013 with a fresh batch of instrumentals to light up the scene. Anthems such as ‘Nosy Parker’ and ‘Circles’ get the VIP treatment, alongside the dub mix of JME’s ‘Murking’. The much anticipated ‘Rubicon’, ‘Evil Twin’ and ‘Sword’ are the highlights here, showcasing the development in Preditah’s production style, while retaining the hallmarks of the sound that have made him a ubiquitous presence in the scene.
PEV & KOWTON ‘Raw Code’ (Hessle Audio) An alliance between Kowton and Hessle Audio was inevitable, and the Bristol trailblazer brings along another visionary local, Peverelist, for two utterly engaging soundsystem polymers. 'Raw Code' is a cerebral and intriguingly dislocated mix of techno, jungle and FWD>>-era South London garage mutations. 'Junked' is a blank and piercing bit of propulsive weight and darting, disorientating mechanics. Both tracks meld stripped back dubstep and techno rhythms with precision and power.
VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘Studio One Ironsides’ (Soul Jazz) When it comes to compilations that dig a little deeper and come with an interesting angle, no one does it quite like Soul Jazz. Again raiding the vaults of one of reggae music’s most import imprints, Studio One, this 18-track compilation of tracks from the 60s and 70s covers all the shades and styles of the genre from that era - from ska and rocksteady to later dub and early dancehall. The featured artists include legends such as Marcia Griffiths, Freddie McGregor, Alton Ellis and Dennis Alcapone, and the material ranges from the classic to the very rare. As with all Soul Jazz releases, this is a real package, and comes complete with a 24-page booklet giving the context and history of the music. A lesson for all bass-music lovers.
MAJORA ‘Boss Key’ EP (Tumble Audio)) Veering well away from identikit trends, Majora innovates and keeps things spicy with his lethal fusion of funky rhythms and grimy basslines over rough house tempos. This is a razor-sharp production from a relative newcomer, and the variation from the raw, broadsiding force of ‘Boss Key’ to the restrained deftness of ‘Just Listen’ renders the EP an involving listen. Exhilarating, crispy beats on a label showing much promise.
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
M U S I C R E V I E W S 13
073
AL TOURETTES & PARADROID ‘Platter003’ (Schmorgasbord)
OUTBOXX
‘Outboxx’ (Idle Hands) Outboxx manage to encompass elements of current bass music, without resorting to tired clichés and overused sample pack hits. The Bristol-based duo produce music that retains the authentic, soul vibe that makes real house music great. ‘Sunshine Mills’ is an out and out, 90s house banger, with saccharine keys, pitched vocal edits and a dancefloor friendly groove. Not the most subtle of homage’s, but executed impeccably well. Outboxx dim the lights on ‘Jaded’, reducing the track to a few simple but effective components, allowing the Bashmore-esque sub to be at its most immersive and the spliced vocal to be at its most prominent. Both add warmth and humanity to the crisp rim shots and tough, boom bap sequence that forms the backbone of the tune. A strong debut.
A MADE UP SOUND ‘Ahead’ / ‘Endgame’ (A Made Up Sound) Peerless, playful, and unpredictable tracks from Dave Huismans, aka 2562. The skewed, richly percussive techno he makes as AMUS is often so abstracted that one wonders how it manages to remain compelling. 'Ahead' falls happily into this camp, manhandling funk breaks into a next level swing, sputtering with confused finely-chopped vocals and bulging with lewd bass. 'Endgame' is more grounded and traditional techno, but a gloriously headspinning ride nonetheless.
Dark ly fu nk y co mpu ter gr oove s h ere , wi th a n u n us u a l mi x of te chn o , gar age a nd el e ctro-b rea k s fr om th e excel l ent Schmo rgas bo rd l abel . ‘Rea l i ty Ho s te s s ’ i s a tr i pp y a nd di s co nce rti ng cru s h of squ a sh ed, s wu n g b e ats and s cal y ba s s , w h ich Pa rad ro id re mi xes i nto a co l d s trange n es s . The B-si de s e ts d e hu man i ze d an d q ui r k y s a mp l e s to a sk i pp y a nd th ump i n g 4x4 gara ge s k i tter. Al Tour ettes goe s d ub w i se a nd off be at w i th a w a rm a n d i mme rs ive ve rs i on .
FLAVA D ‘Hold On / Home’ (Butterz) Flava D is that rare thing in the male dominated world of grime; a female producer! Associations with Eskibeat and Wiley, alongside a back catalogue of productions vocalled by the top MCs in the scene have ensured she has made waves. Her first release on Butterz showcases a dancefloor edge, with crisp 2step drums and UK G influences on ‘Hold On’, while ‘Home’ brings a basslinehouse infused rawness.
NU:LOGIC 'Morning Light' / ‘Grizzly’ (Hospital) With an album scheduled for release later this year, brothers Nu:tone and Logistics unite to provide a taste of what’s to come. ‘Morning Light’ is spacious in sound, with a stripped-backed rolling bassline and prominent use of percussion. As the name suggests, ‘Grizzly’ begins as an aggressive brute of a track, before it plateaus unexpectedly into a half-tempo simmer. An encouraging listen.
VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘Dirtybird Players’ (Dirtybird) After the unbridled success of 2012’s ‘Hatched’ compilation, the San Franciscan kings of booty bass are back with ‘dirtybird Players’. To mark their biggest year to date, dirtybird’s MVPs and most exciting up-and-comers deliver all new and exclusive tracks for the Players compilation, which sees the imprint reach to the darkest, dirtiest corners of house, techno and bass. From label boss Claude VonStroke’s grime-tinged, beautifully percussive ‘Chop Nek’ to Justin Martin’s rude, grunt laden ‘Wheelgunner’ dub, it’s clear from the off that the crossover crew are still on fantastic form. As always, a distinctive UK sound is championed by the likes of Eats Everything, Shadow Child and Friend Within. ‘dirtybird Players’ proves the label to be as relevant and unique as ever.
MR WILLIAMZ ‘Raggamuffin Icon’ (Reggae Toybox) In recent years, Mr Williamz has shone as one of the UK's brightest reggae MCs, evoking classic Supercat vibes with his vocal style. Here, he teams up with Japan's Reggae Toybox label for a digital dancehall killer. The wicked 80s-style riddim perfectly complements Mr Williamz delivery, and provides a groove entirely suited for a late night blues. As Mr Williamz informs us, “World a girls want a Raggamuffin man.” It’s hard to disagree.
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
M U S I C R E V I E W S 13
075
SOUTH LONDON ORDINANCE ‘Revolver’ / ‘Transmission Funk’ (Hotflush)
SWIFT BEATER ‘The Matt Black’ EP (Stay Fresh) Swifta Beater is yet another exciting producer to come from the Birmingham grime scene, with his productions vocalled by some of the top MCs and standing out as instrumentals in the wider bass music world. Swifta’s distinctive style references trap music and UK G, and points to a hip-hop influence with his use of samples. Stand-outs here include the remix of ‘Easy’ and the highly anticipated ‘Food Move’.
WEN ‘Commotion’ EP (Keysound) What’s all the commotion about? Young Dot’s words pose that question on the title track here, and if you like your beats ominous, moody and downright rude then the answer’s Wen. He forges four tracks of tensile sub-pressure strung out low over 130bpms, with a lurking darkside ambience perforated by fleeting MC vocals, taut rhythmic interchanges and stark dynamics. Wicked grime permutations on the ever-trailblazing Keysound.
SPACE DIMENSION CONTROLLER
‘Welcome To Microsector 50’ (R&S) Space Dimension Controller invites you to join him on a cosmic adventure to a far away world, as his much anticipated debut long player drops on the seminal R&S Records. As predicted, this is far removed from your usual self-indulgent concept album.‘Welcome to Microsector 50’ follows a kitsch B-movie narrative, with smatterings of teary-eyed romance and bags full of fun; rarely seen qualities in the often po-faced world of electronic music. From Egyptian Lover-style electro jams (‘Mr 8040's Introduction’) compete with trademark robot voice, to widescreen synth wig outs (‘Rising’) via shimmering mid-tempo chuggers (‘A Lonely Flight To Erodru-10’), Jack Hamill shows his diversity as a producer and further cements his own unique style.
OM UNIT & SAM BINGA 'Small Victories’ EP (Exit Records)
RDX & DREADSQUAD ‘Warning’ EP (Superfly)
DBridge’s Exit Records cuts its own path with every release and this latest release for the stubbornly artistic imprint comes from the unexpected, but totally natural, combination Om Unit and Sam Binga. The former has been turning heads with his halftime interpretations of the D&B format for a minute now, and this EP sees him link with one half of Behling & Simpson, Sam Binga. Half stepping, grime referencing, groove drenched utter sickness – check it immediately.
Jamaica's vocal duo, RDX, team up with Poland’s Dreadsquad for a killer EP. The four tracks here demonstrate both the versatility of RDX's songwriting and the productions skills of the Dreadsquad team. The tracks cover ska, Casio-style digital and classic reggae with aplomb. Every track is insanely catchy, packed with sweet melodies, catchy hooks, and tuff riddims. Further proof of European dancehall's pedigree and well worth picking up.
South London Ordnance resurrects the skeleton of UK Funky, for his latest release on Scuba’s Hotflush label. The dense bones and rugged urban demeanour remain. This time round however, his grin is considerably more gap toothed and his mood a lot darker. Lead track 'Revolver' sees militant snares give drive to a mid tempo 4/4 framework, while 'Transmission Funk' continues in the same vein, stripping back the drums even further.
WALTER EGO ‘Wavey’ / ‘Military Mind’ (Coyote Records) Sheffield upstart Walter Ego flexes his diverse sound palette on fresh grime imprint Coyote, delivering some fierce instrumental heaters on 12”. He combines predatory energy with tactile musicality as vibrant arpeggios overlay rough beats on ‘Wavey’, and the agitated, playful vibes of ‘Military Mind’ cry out for an MC to jump on. Ego is proving to be beyond versatile; a rising star of the future, no doubt.
HIGH CONTRAST 'Spectrum Analyzer’' (Hospital) Hospital Records’ original hit-maker starts 2013 with a strong release. Lead track ‘System Analyser’ is a synth-heavy, growling stomper. On the flip, we’re not sure what the Welsh producer is getting at with the title ‘Some Things Never Change,’ but the melodic elements and soul samples at the heart of the track make for a welcome return to the sound that first made his name.
+ GAMES
R E V I E W S 13
076
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
GAMES REVIEWS WITH CUTLINE
DMC DEVIL MAY CRY CAPCOM (PC, PS3, XBOX360) OUT NOW
Devil May Cry gets a reboot! Complete with an upgraded and altogether slicker looking Dante, a fattened up storyline and incredibly detailed music from Noisia, DMC – Devil May Cry is easily the best new game available right now. Long-term fans of the series may grumble (they always do, don’t they?), but this new incarnation is packed with hour upon hour of hack-nslash action that just doesn’t get boring. From the outset, you’re plunged deep into
fast-paced combat as you’re chased from your trailer and dragged into Dante’s deplorable position as a reluctant hero. Quicker than he can shoot a cynical glance, you’ll be chaining combos and collecting souls with mighty aplomb and undoubtedly a large smile on your face. It’s easy to underestimate how much fun this type of game can be, but DMC – Devil May Cry offers you unrelenting, ever-evolving chunks of enjoyment that will leave you with sore thumbs and cheeks.
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
+ GAMES
07 7
R E V I E W S 13
SUPE’RS SLIM NEW ! LOOK
Hitting the stores this month are Garnet Red and Azurite Blue versions of the 500GB ‘super slim’ PS3 so those of you who need the latest colourways of everything can be bang on trend.
ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES
DEAD SPACE 3 EA Games (PC, PS3, Xbox360) Out Now
DOKURO GungHo Online Entertainment (PSV) Out Now
Sega (PC, PS3, Xbox360) Out Now
As many have remarked recently, the problem with horror sequels is that all the scares have been done before – a problem that Dead Space 3 can’t escape. Swapping outright terror for relentless action may upset those who preferred the horror theme of previous Dead Space instalments, but it does make for a much better game. Big blockbusting sci-fi shoot-em-up action is what you’re getting here. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then we’d highly recommend picking this up.
In this game, you play Dukuro, a skeleton who’s fallen in love with a princess kidnapped by his Dark Lord boss and has vowed to save her from his craftily built castle. The princess pays no attention to even the most obvious of hazards, leaving you t ensure her safety as she blindly wanders across the screen. Alright, it sounds silly, but we all know these kind of games are the most addictive and you could easily spend hours playing this on a train, bus or plane. We love it!
The only interesting game this issue that doesn’t start with the letter D is also cursed with a back catalogue of decent, but not exciting, predecessors. Can Aliens: Colonial Marines be the Aliens game that the films deserve? Well, developers Gearbox have certainly tried to appease fans of the films with plenty of nostalgic touches and even bringing in Lance Henriksen to voice Bishop. We’ve yet to grab a copy for review but we hope that this version of Aliens is the one we’ve all been waiting for.
S T U D I O S E S S I O N S
#3 with BREAK Back with his third exclusive production lesson for Trap, Break is renowned as having some of the finest mixdowns in the business. Whatever genre you produce, read on for Break’s studio secrets!
SESSION THREE: MAKING IT FAT The strive for loudness at the limit can be great, but, like many activities or sports, riding that limit with control is perfection and one touch over means disaster. Playing it safe with the overall level can be a really good way to avoid the pitfalls of slamming soundwaves, but sometimes a track needs that extra smack to really hit home. Here are a few tips that will hopefully help get your tracks fatter without them sounding horrible, as louder can often mean thinner!
STEP ONE: MIXING INTO A LIMITER Many people use this method to achieve a loud track from the get-go. It involves putting a Limiter/Compressor on the Master Buss, cranking that up a bit and then continuing to make your tune, knowing it’s hitting 0db. I’ve used this method a lot, but it can fool you into thinking you’ve got a good mix when, really, you’ve just got a loud mix. Better results can be achieved by doing this after you’ve got a tighter mix to start with. A sloppy mix is usually just made worse. The same rules apply to multi-band compression, too. The Fabfilter Pro L or the UAD Precision Limiter are great to use on the Master; I often end up around 3db as a good boost.
STEP TWO: MIX TO THE METERS Checking the Master Channel with an Analysis/Metering tool can help you see which tracks in your mix are peaking, are too quiet, or combing in a way that pushes the overall level too high. Tweaking EQs and levels at this point can really help iron out bumps before the final Limiter has to do the work.
STEP THREE: MONO/STEREO There are a few mastering suites that allow you to access the mono and stereo separately in a plug-in on the Master. Brainworx Digital is great for this with everything on one page. I always put the bass under 100-50z into mono, and then listen on Solo to the mono and stereo bands to hear what’s happening independently. I find adding some hi-mid and sub to the mono, and low-cutting and thickening the stereo can often add power and fatness. Increasing Stereo Width can really bring the track alive with some added space.
STEP FOUR: COLOURING THE MASTER
STEP FIVE: OVERALL EQ It could be said EQ on the Master isn't needed if the mix is correctly balanced, and that’s often true. But it can be very helpful if you test your tune out and realise it’s all great but just needs, for instance, some overall brightness. A lot of nice EQs can colour or shape your track as in Step Four. Most mastering engineers I've seen will low-cut the very bottom, to allow more headroom on your overall level. Passive EQs such as the Manley can reshape your whole mix, while Linear EQs are great for detailed adjustments.
STEP SIX: GOING BACK
This can be done by adding a Tape or Desk Emulation plug-in, or anything that gives your song a flavour you like. I usually use something different on each tune, as it can be quit hit-and-miss suiting the plug-in or outboard to the track.
Once you've tried these steps, the mix of the track may still need to be adjusted. Often, limiting will give a squashed, flat sound; reducing long transients of drums and bass can keep the punch.
Using this with compression can give the song an overall glued-together shape. Tape can be used to reduce top-end pain on your ears and warm up the low-end; something I'm a big fan of.
Adding attack to the front of sounds can help counter the squashing effect; getting these to pump nicely with the Limiter can be key to a heavyweight mixdown. Also, grouping Instruments and limiting them pre-master can really help to get things chunky before they hit the Master Limiter together.
CONCLUSION: Mastering Engineers have equipment and rooms better than we can dream of, so leaving that final 5% to them is usually the right choice. I use Beau Thomas at Masterpiece for all my cuts; he specialises in bass music and knows the sound that everyone is looking for. I always bring a turned down version of the tune to a session, as the extra headroom can really help to get the finished version louder. TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
079
BASSPO I NTS
13
CLUB LISTINGS
08 0
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
COMPILED BY: IAIN BLACKBURN
MARCH SATURDAY 2 MARCH MIXED IN @ HOPE WORKS, SHEFFIELD Bl a wan , Pa nga ea , Lo she a, Chr is Ducke nfie ld.
MONO_CULT @ CANAL MILLS, LEEDS
APEX PRESENTS: SUBSOUL S AT U R D AY 3 0 M A R C H B L U E M O U N TA I N , B R I S T O L
Oneman, Breach, Dixon, Scuba.
THURSDAY 7 MARCH SOFT ROCKETS @ VARIOUS VENUES, BRISTOL Axel Bo wma n, Behling & Si mps o n, Break , J us No w, Bu ggsy, Mar co Ber na d i, South Lo nd on Ord n ance, My Nu Le n g.
KUNG FU @ CONCORD 2, BRIGHTON H i gh Contra st, S.P.Y, Nu -Tone , Stan za , Wrec, A.D.
FRIDAY 8 MARCH BASSLACED @ STEALTH, NOTTINGHAM Re d l i gh t, Mos ca + mor e.
De s p i te o n l y b e i n g a f e w e ve n ts i n , Ap e x h as a l r e a d y e sta b l i sh e d i ts e l f a s o n e o f Br i s to l ’s b u s i e s t an d mo s t o n -p o i n t n i gh ts. Af te r b ri n gi n g P h ae l e h , Da r k Sky a n d El i p h i n o to th e ci ty’s a n ci e n t Bl u e Mo u n ta i n ve n u e , Ap e x l i n k s w i th Su b s o u l o n Satu r d ay 30 Mar ch fo r w h a t p r o mi se s to b e a n o th e r r amme d -o u t d an ce . T.Wi l l i ams h e a d l i n e s , s up p o r te d b y Tra p ’s f avo u ri te s e l e cto r a n d a l l -ro u n d d o n Ze d Bi as , w i th h o t yo u n g ta l e n ts Ma r i b o u State co mp l e ti n g a ve r y ti d y l i n e-u p . Ap e x r u n n i n g th i n gs ; i f yo u ’re i n Br i s to l , th i s i s yo u co me 30 Ma r ch .
a pex b r i sto l . co.u k
WE FEAR SILENCE PRESENTS 15 YEARS OF VIRUS @ CABLE, LONDON E d Ru sh & Op ti cal , Bl ack Sun Empire , Th e Up b eats , Op ti v b 2b BTK , Matr i x, Aud io + mo re.
HORIZONS FESTIVAL LAUNCH PARTY @ VOLKS, BRIGHTON D:Br id ge , K ah n + mo r e.
DOLLOP F R I D AY 1 M A R C H S T E A LT H , N O T T I N G H A M
SATURDAY 9 MARCH BLAH BLAH BLAH @ DIGITAL, BRIGHTON Mo sca , Du sk y, Pa lema n.
FRIDAY 15 MARCH DILATION @ BEAVER WORKS, LEEDS Benji B, Wookie, MJ Cole.
FABRICLIVE 68: CALIBRE LAUNCH @ FABRIC, LONDON Ca l ib re , D:Bri dge, Fa b io, Mar cu s In talex, Z inc, DJ E Z , Mo s ca + mor e .
SEEDY SONICS – OUTLOOK 2013 LAUNCH PARTY @ THE RAINBOW WAREHOUSE, BIRMINGHAM Ad d i s on Gr oove, I ci cl e, P al eman , Ph ae leh , E mp e ro r.
On Friday 1 March, Dollop invites a tantalising selection of artists from house music’s new wave to grace the DJ booth at Nottingham’s Stealth. With regular Dollop Presents... nights taking place on Tuesday nights at Rescue Rooms, bringing the likes of Oneman, EZ and Mele to town, and parties down in the capital too, the guys behind Dollop are doing things right. Numbers poster-boy Jackmaster headlines, ably supported by the ultra-hot Bicep and last year’s breakthrough champions Dusky. Add to that Deadboy, Friend Within and S-X, and you’ve got one serious party
d o ll o pd o l lo p. co m
TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
BASSPO I NTS
081
CLUB LISTINGS
13
MARCH
4 YEARS OF WFS S AT U R D AY 2 3 M A R C H CABLE, LONDON
SATURDAY 16 MARCH CRAZYLEGS @ EXCHANGE, BRISTOL P e ars o n So u nd , Mi dl and , H o dge, Bl oo m + re s i d e n ts .
SHIT THE BED @ MOTION, BRISTOL Re dl i ght, Go rgon Ci ty, SP Y, Cal yx & Te e be e , Da rq E Fr eak er, My Nu Len g, Be n P ear ce + much mor e .
REDUX PRESENTS THE BASS CULTURE CLASH @ PLAN B, LONDON Cable is among the capital’s finest and most relevant venues, playing host to some of the biggest club-nights and record labels around on a weekly basis. On Saturday 23 March, the club will celebrate four years of its ongoing We Fear Silence series. We Fear Silence is all about bringing together the most innovative and forward-looking London promoters under one banner, and over the last four years this is exactly what it’s done. This party will be headlined by Boddika, a man who needs no introduction in these pages, with support from Germany’s BNJMN and Dexter and Holland’s Roman Lindau. cable-london.com
Th e H e atwave , To p Cat, Ski b ad ee , Ri ko Dan + mor e
FRIDAY 22 MARCH DETONATE 14TH BIRTHDAY
@ STEALTH & RESCUE ROOMS, NOTTINGHAM No i s ia , SP Y, H azard , Darq E Fre ake r, Cu l p ra te , K a sr a, Mef j us + mo re .
SATURDAY 23 MARCH RUN @ MOTION, BRISTOL H yp e, Lo ad s tar, Al ix P e re z b 2b I ci cl e , Hazard , N-Typ e , Su kh K ni ght + mor e.
TUESDAY 1 JANUARY
TROUPE @ XOYO, LONDON Sh ad ow ch i l d, To m De mac, Gl i mps e.
D E V I AT I O N
THURSDAY 28 MARCH
1 MARCH & 5 APRIL
SKREAMIZM
XOYO, LONDON
@ WHP, MANCHESTER Jackmaster, Rustie, Skream, Loefah, Pariah, NYTA + more.
RINSE FM EASTER SPECIAL @ FABRIC, LONDON
Jackma ste r, Ros ka , Jok er, Ske pta , P Mo ne y, Ro yal T, Ar two rk + mo r e
FRIDAY 29 MARCH LICKED BEATZ 3RD BIRTHDAY @ CABLE, LONDON
Ne wh am Ge ne ral s , S.P.Y, Ze d Bi as , Lo gan Sama, Sti cky, U n cl e Du gs + mor e
Benji B’s scene shaping, front-leading, speaker-shaking Deviation has a new home at London’s XOYO. As those who read our previous issue, with Benji on the front cover, will know, Deviation is more than just another hyped-out club-night. With the Deviation team’s heart and soul going into every party, each one is that little bit special, as the artists they’ve booked for their spring events confirm. Friday 1 March will see Jamie XX and Actress stepping up at the Old Street club, and on Friday 5 April Mala brings his Mala In Cuba live project to the venue, supported by the impossibly brilliant Floating Points. More than recommended.
xoyo.co.uk
FACE WAREHOUSE RAVE
@ THE RAINBOW WAREHOUSE, BIRMINGHAM Maya Jan e Co le s , Ca s sy, Bi ce p + mo re .
SATURDAY 30 MARCH KALUKI: MAJA JANE COLES ALBUM LAUNCH @ WHP, MANCHESTER Maya Jane Coles, Heidi, Eats Everything, Subb-An + more
MINIMAL KIDS
@ AUDIO, BRIGHTON Justin Martin + more.
GET TRAP DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YO U R D O O R!
*£20 FOR 6 ISSUES *UK PRICE ONLY
COST
MISSED OUT?
A six issue subscription will cost
Current and back issues are subject to availability
only £20.00 in the UK & £35 for
at £5 in the UK & £7 for the rest of the world.
the rest of the world.
All prices include postage and packaging
WWW.TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK/SUBSCRIBE