We’re back! (About time too) and what better way to kick things off than with an exclusive interview and mixtape from the infamous, Broke Dj’s. Those in need of their usual fix of sub, dub, rub, bass, and woiii need look no further… Going in haaaaard and heavy, Jim Mcinerny and Adam Logan hail from London, have been producing for the past 6 years, and aim to promote dancefloor chaos, livvid party flow and full. Fat. Bassface. Rebigulators, the kitchen sink and those precious drops of pepsi are in full effect, creating records and edits to shift any party up a bpm helter skelter. We caught up with the chaps for a monster chat to find out they’re thoughts on the scene, what they’ve broken, and what they plan to smash in the coming months. Gander below for added beef, hit the jump for tracklisting, jump on soundcloud for extra heft, and follow on facebook and twitter. Biiig.

Introduce yourselves, what did you break? 

Hi we are Jim McInerny and Adam Logan, two bass loving chaps from London, UK and we form Broke DJs, a multi genre production, crime fighting and DJing duo! I wish we could remember exactly what we have broken in our time, back in the day when we first started and were learning the ropes we broke quite a lot.
We were quite fortunate that we started mixing together and within a month of forming we had our first set at a 800 capacity venue which was full to the brim. So it was always a trial by fire with us. Mixers, vinyl, speakers, needles, headphones and hearts ha-ha! We toyed with the idea of starting a blog back in the day it was such a regular occurrence, thankfully we learnt quickly! The name weirdly changed its meaning, it was initially thought up because we both met at uni and had very little money! 


You’ve been producing records for a while now, early Break beat releases through to Dubstep, with hints of Hip Hop and Drum & Bass. How do you think your style has progressed? 

Yeah we have been chipping away at this now for gone 6 years, both of us drawn together by a love for breaks and drum & bass. Our style has moved along with our technical ability, as we learn more we get one step closer to realising our sound. We have always been about that ‘Tear Out’ sound.

We loved labels like Hardcore Beats, True Playaz & Cyberfunk when we first started so they were a big part of how we chose to direct our production methods.

With genres like Dubstep & Hip Hop we naturally adapted. That’s the joy of being a multi genre act, the more the merrier! As long as it works with our style we will make it. With the environment which we started DJing in we wanted to offer more than an hour + of one genre, it allowed us to deliver a varied set from 100bpm to 180bpm and it worked well for us. While one genre is enough for some people we think that working with just one would confine us as an act. 


Who, what and which influences you? 

A lot of the artists we first started listening to have a lot to answer for in terms of our inspirations now, even though we may not play their tracks anymore they’re still sat in the back of our minds. There is such a wealth of talent out at the moment its hard not to draw from them. Acts like Ctrl Z, Prodigy, Elite Force, Phaeleh, Noisia, Reso, Skism, Plastician, DZ, Foreign Beggars, Enei, Koan Sound, Ils, Krafty Kuts, Skream, Skrewface, Freq Nasty to name a few.  Outside of the scene, everything from films to sounds you hear out and about. We once created a dubstep track from recording Jim doing the washing up. Our friends also play a huge part in it, we are fortunate that they are all heavily into their music across all genres, live to electronic so we get to hear a good mix.  Inspiration also always seems to be found at the bottom of a litre bottle of Pepsi too, something to do with the sugar! 

More Fiya (Original Mix) ***FREE DOWNLOAD*** by Broke DJs

Do you find working together often sparks creativity? 

Undoubtedly! We are at our best when working together, currently there is a bit of a distance gap between us so we are not in the studio quite as often as we would like. When we are its great to have ideas to bounce off each other. 4 ears are always better than 2 especially when you have been at a track for hours upon hours. We work in two ways,either both sit down and work on one track or we are fortunate to have two studio computers so we can both work invidividually and we will swap seats. Both work well for us depending on the tracks. 


Dubstep in particular is often talked about these days. What do you feel is becoming of the genre, and where do you think it’s future lies? 

We try and avoid a lot of the ‘online’ conversation as it always ends up becoming arguments about genres and what’s better. Everyone misses the point that it is of course down to personal taste.

Dubstep is something which we have grown up with, when it was slowing seeping into sets – Digital Mystikz, Skream, Benga, Mala, Coki. We have seen it change rapidly over the past few years as it has grown in popularity and has taken the route that most popular urban underground music has taken. Just look at how DNB changed, with popularity comes tracks that are more accessible and in turn more fans are created.

As long as you find dubstep which you enjoy, then great, mission accomplished. Don’t get bogged down by silly sub genre gunning and being scared of the scene ‘dying’.As long as you are finding, playing or making music that you enjoy you are winning, no matter what anyone else thinks. We don’t listen to music for other people, we listen/make what WE enjoy personally, thats what its about and there is enough room for everyone and their repective sounds. The more it’s discussed the more that becomes the focus and the music is an auxillary element. 

Broke DJs – Dub On The Motor Way ***FREE DOWNLOAD*** by Broke DJs

How do you go about producing a track and have you any sneaky production tips?

For years Jim had led me to believe that a headphone adaptor was actually called a Rebigulator, which is all well and good until you go into a music shop and ask for one… With production these days we can start in any manner of ways, perhaps sometimes it will start from just a single patch we have created in a synth and we will build a track around that, sometimes we will make a drum loop, sometimes it can even be down to a single sample we want to use. There isn’t a text book way to sit down and create as everyone’s process is different.  Make sure you focus on where your strengths lie, its no good having an amazing drum track but following it up with some weak synth work. It will completly detract from what you are trying to do. Also try not to get caught up emulating a sound, chances are you won’t get it right and you will sound like an imitation (A big problem in dubstep these days).

The biggest bit of advice we could give is just practice, spend as much time as possible in your DAW (Digital audio workstation) and focus on learning a select few synths. The more time you spend on something the more you will learn.


It’s not just about djing these days, musicians today often find themselves doing everything from production to promo. ‘Adapt or die’ describes the need to search for new musical avenues. Have you any ideas, thoughts or big Broke business to look forward to? 

I think it varies from act to act, some benefit from having their finger in as many pies as possible though it could be argued that perhaps you should take the ‘do one thing well’ approach. Whatever works for you would be our advice, we have been promoters in the past and while it is great fun and good for building contacts, perhaps it takes away from the time you could be spending in the studio. If you do have multiple outputs finding a balance is key. 

We are currently working on a new EP and are locking ourselves in the studio at the end of Jan. When we have these sessions they are pretty intense, we are talking about 18 hour days infront of the computers, so we are looking forward to getting some new ideas down. We have just started working with a new vocalist called Alice Grace who we can’t wait to get writing with, she has a very soulful voice and good knowledge of the scene having worked with True Playaz, Potential Bad boy, MC Det and dubstep act Refix, so keep an eye out for her. As always we will continue our monthly mix series in 2012, bringing you a new mix tape every month.

On the side I (Adam) have just started a solo project called Massaman focusing on the more ambient side of electronica. Drawing influence heavily from acts such as Phaeleh, Synkro, Om Unit and Massive Attack. This is a great chance for me to dip into a new scene and develop as a producer. The techinques used to produce this type of music are quite different so its refreshing and its an area I don’t often get to explore under the Broke DJs moniker.With this I will also be launching a digital record label called ‘MassApeal’, the first release scheduled for March this year and the podcast series was launched before Xmas. 


What’s in the Exclusive Eisandnose Mixtape that you’ve been so kind to put together for us? 

So this mixtape follows the formula we have created for our monthly mix series. It is around 45 minutes, multi genre, and packed with edits. This is something we have taken great pride in, both for mixes and live sets. It allows us to deliver the tracks people know and love but with a bit of a twist. Its good to keep it fresh and by creating our own versions of the tracks it gives us better scope for a more memorable mix. 

Nero – Crush On You (Knife Party Remix) (Broke DJs DNB Edit) **FREE DOWNLOAD** by Broke DJs

Expect lots of glitchy bass driven tracks, some unexpected vocal mash ups and some exclusive dubs from some great artists we are supporting at the moment. It also has our latest release Boogie which came out towards the end of 2011 on Quantum Records. Go buy it!  


What’s a typical day in the life of Broke? 

A typical day for us is spent, headphones in ears listening to music, new and old. Wheverever we are you gotta have tunes on! When not listening to music we can be found doing the washing up with mics set up around the sink trying to get that perfect rub a dub sound, either that or trying to be funny on Twitter. 


If you could break one thing, and only one thing, what would it be and why? 

The Rules!……..Sorry that just made us sick in our own mouths.  The System?…..again, terrible.  The Bank!



Eisandnose Exclusive Mixtape – Broke DJs



Thanks to Broke DJ’s, all the best for 2012. Keep them locked on Facebook, Soundcloud & Twitter


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G’daaaaay, and welcome to the latest instalment of Eisandnose Exclusives. This time around we’re hailing from Melbourne Australia, introducing a spritely young electro producer named ‘iix‘. Taking to the wheels’of’ steel to drop a pumped up, hands up, bass hearty and synth splattered son of a gun mixtape, iix focuses on bouncey, gritty edits and productions. Having only taken his production techniques seriously for the past year, and at the inspiring age of 23 years old, iix – aka Nickolas Blay  sheds his highly energetic, fast paced and personal take on records today. Beating together a fresh and somewhat livvid party flow,with a bucket load of full-fat-bass, iix bends the boundaries of indie pop, rock, electro, rave, and straight up pow to the face for an intense 30 minute party. We nabbed the lad outside of his studies for a a cheeky chat (of which we’d like to thank Coldplay…). Crank up them speakers, read on for added bump & mixtape. Hit the jump for tracklist. Enjoy. 

iix! Hows things? Busy at the moment?

Yeah things are good, and yes I’m very busy, but not with the things I would like to be doing, haha!

How long have you been involved with music?

Actually not that long. I’ve only been making music for about 4 years,and only seriously in the last year or so.

You’re style of music is fast, lively and very energetic. Do you plan out a piece of music in your head or experiment until you’ve made something you couldn’t have expected?

Well thats it really. I kinda know in my head I want it to be energetic so I start there, thats as far as the planning goes, I think many of the best ideas have always come from messing around.

Bounce (iix Remix) – Calvin Harris Ft. Kelis

Any sneaky studio techniques? And what advice would you give to aspiring producers?

Well I still consider myself aspiring so maybe you guys have some tips for me, but honestly there’s plenty like, NAME YOUR TRACKS! Also picking the correct sounds to fit together – you shouldn’t need to do heaps of processing to make things sound good, only to make things sound better.

What’s important to you about dance music? What should and shouldn’t it do?

How excited it makes me feel, I think the whole reason I got into dance music is basically for that feeling. When you hear an amazing track for the first time and you think your heart is about leap out of throat! It should never be dull or boring.

Have you any personal influences or genres that you try to stick to? Anything really strange, childhood heroes or role models?

The strangest thing my musical background is that it is so short. There were three turning points for my musical life, the first being when I was 17 (23 now ) hearing Coldplay’s clocks for the first time, thats where it all started, I didn’t actually care about music at all until that point. The second being hearing Kissy Sell Out’s mashed 4 CD and thinking WOW this stuff is amazing it really blows me away and then through Kissy hearing Jack Beats and showing me how much fun a build up could be. So I guess without Coldplay and Kissy Sell Out I wouldn’t really be making music.

Kissy sell out playing-haha BBC radio 1 by iix

Any big future plans, collabs or cheeky exclusives we should hold tight for?

Yeah coming up to uni break so I’m about to start working with a singer/songwriter named Tanya George, really excited to see what comes out of that also going to try to do some remixes really get my name out there.

What’s the scene like over in Oz? The UK is all about garage influenced bass music that is continually crossing boundaries. What do you think people are looking for in music today?

It’s hard to support a sub culture over here because of the population being so low, but its mainly just indie rock/dance/synth pop, which is cool I guess, but nothing like the UK. I hear talk all the time of bands moving to UK because it doesn’t work down here unless you’re massive. I can only really answer for myself but from my experiences most people just want hands in the air stuff like electro house etc.

It’s absolutely brimming with tunes, but what’s in the Eisandnose Exclusive Mixtape you’ve been so kind to put together for us?

Ok so basically with this I just wanted to put together a mixture of some older tunes that have influenced me and some newer ones that inspire and some of my own stuff and edits, the mixes are fast (funny story but I listened to heaps of Dj’s mixes like this when I was starting out and thought thats how you’re meant to mix haha) but I hope every one enjoys. It won’t be my last.

Thanks iix. All the best for the future. Keep him locked on Soundcloud, & Twitter.

iix Learns Piano – Eisandnose Exclusive Mixtape

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Had this one locked on reeeepeat. Tanka is innnn. Future Garage at it’s finest. Dark, hard and totally progressive. ‘Sabre’ bumps along an infectious palette of percussion, dipping and diving between heavy sub stabs, delicately placed spills of tropical taps and hefty kickdrum. Doing what he does best, Tanka irons full fat bassline into a choppy vocal. The result is a murky, pumped and unforgiving tease, souped up with flavour, danger and jungle effect. Garage heads need to hold tight for this one, it’s teeeeefeh. Keep Tanka locked. Big things ahead. Pow.

Sabre by Tanka

Easssy. Time to numb it down a little. We’ve gone all out in our mission to bring essential new blood to the table, and we are more than excited about this one. Eisandnose Exclusives is proud to present up and coming garage and house based producer Admin, Adam Wickens of Winchester residence. 18 years of age, a DJ of 5 years and a producer of 2. Adam played trumpet and guitar from an early age, but after seeing Fatboy Slim tear a hole in Brighton Beach he was hooked. In true sample style Adam takes his influences from everywhere else. Describing his works as ‘garage-y vibes’ and suggesting that we just listen. Each track is passionate and emotionally driven, yet completely and utterly diverse, making one hell of a portfolio. Pads, percussion, vocals, samples, gold, crystal, sunshine and snow are weaved together to create textures that sink and bubble on punchy basslines and piercing kicks. He’s already gained support from big named artists including Dark Sky and DJ Cable. We managed to nab the boy for an essential 30 minute mixtape and cheekeh interview, where he goes all out to drench us in perspective, soul and subbed up basslines. We got wet just thinking about it. Be sure to keep Admin locked for months to come. Tracklisting after the jump. 

Who’s Admin, where are you from and what do you get up to on a regular basis? 
Yo! Im Adam Wickens from Winchester. I make music and DJ regularly.

What inspired you to start making music? 
Listening to other music I guess. Ive DJ’d for a while now and thought it was time to start making tunes too and try and get my name about the place. The two are kind of hand in hand so it made sense.

How would you describe your sound, and is there anything in particular that you try to achieve when you write a track?
I’m not sure really, I take influences from anywhere so its always a mix of sounds. I like to put a bit of variation and emotion in a track. I think this is important for grabbing a listeners attention and getting them to come back and listen to more. When I play live I like to make it as varied as possible, so expect to hear a good mix of everything.

Lick Chops by ∆dmin

What’s your thoughts on ‘bass music’ today, and do you have any ideas as to which direction music might sound in the future?
There’s a lot of great music about at the moment, top notch DJ’s and labels. Some really inspiring stuff. Although I think people who try to make a straight up name for themselves are going about things the wrong way. Music today is all about community. A group of listeners, DJ’s and producers who all share the same thoughts and passion for certain types of music. Its good to see a load of house and garage influenced music about too, and a lot of young and upcoming producers are slowly getting recognised they way they should be, so the future looks bright.

What do you look for within other electronic producers music?
It’s all about hearing things I’ve never heard before. Any genre for me. New sounds and beats are what makes a big tune, but the best thing about any track is when it sends shivers down my spine. That’s when I know it’s biiiig.

DJing or producing, if you had to pick one? 
Id have to say DJing, love it. I’ve played records for the past 5 years or so. Got my first pair of turntables second hand and haven’t looked back since. Things are a little different nowadays, but either way there’s no stopping me spinning.

What kind of equipment do you use to produce and perform?
I got a PC and just use Propellorhead Reason with my mini Akai Midi Keyboard. All pretty budget gear, but thats all I need really at the moment, i’ll gradually make my set up better as time goes by. DJing, I started mixing on turntables then moved on to CDJs and with Serato, I can mix all my tunes on any platform, so all gooooood.

Do you have any plans for the future, an idea or a dream position? 
Ive still got university to attend in Bristol later this year, so that should be fun. Alot of great music there and hopefully I can get involved. That would be ideal.

Tell us about your night Crank?! What is it your trying to push?
Crank is a local night we put on for anyone interested in underground music really. Me, Tanka And D-Warrior run it and we’ve had other awesome local djs play alongside such as Manhi, Rumah and Bashma. Recently we had Jakwob play, and we have other djs playing such as Loefah, Pinch, Drums Of Death and Plastician so thats a pretty big achievement for us. We just want to be able to play the music we want to play and see the music we want to see without having to travel miles and spend loads of money…

What’s in the Eisandnose Mixtape you’ve so kindly put together for us? 
A little compilation of some of the best tunes to bless my inbox recently. Alot of 808 drums and cowbell. Threw a cheeky remix i’ve done for Elek in there too for good measure.

Giant pizza, ghetto hot curry, salad or pot noodle?
Ive Got the Pot Noodle Horn…. ✓


Thanks Admin, all the best for the future. Follow him on Soundcloud, Facebook, & Twitter. Admin also writes for our friends BootsnCats Blog. Be sure to show respect.


Admin – Eisandnose Exclusive Mixtape


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We’ve been busy! We’ve teamed up with the boys and girls over at London Dalston’s ‘Nest’ nightclub and Siren Dipity Promotions to bring you a cheeky interview and exclusive VIP remix from the almighty Plump DJ’s. If anyone happens to be thaaat out the loop and is in need of a little education, Plump DJ’s, Lee Rous and Andy Gardner  have been performing and producing since the late 90′s. After smashing onto the early breaks scene they have been constantly delivering an endless list of diverse and impeccably crafted dance tracks, and have cemented themselves as industry heavyweights. Their music fuses bad ass funk with obesely phat danceability, and since the release of legendary albums such as ‘A Plump Night Out’ and ‘Eargasm’ they have been on a non stop mission to deliver ever evolving dance music, with souped up slap-you-sixteen-different-sideways basslines and hooks so sharp you’ll need to wear chainmail.

Grand Hotel Records is the Plump’s most recent project, a record label that endorses everything bass and future breaks. After the success of  two sellout events in london, and a belt full of events worldwide the boys are hosting their third giant party at Dalston Nest in London on the 29th of July, in conjunction with Siren Dipity Promotions who have recently made quite a name for themselves smashing out massive club nights. This one in particular boasts. One. Hell. Of. A. Line. Up. And is guaranteed to be an absolute riot. Plump Djs, Detboi, Loops Of Fury, Submo, Badbob, and Lolak Vs RADAR! are all taking to the decks to help tear things apart. We managed to nab the boys for a cheeky 5 minutes to ask a few hasty questions. Get involved with the party, and make sure you’ve got em locked. Heavy.

Hey guys. So first things first, are you looking forward to bringing Grand Hotel to The Nest?

Hey, of course! We’re big fans of The Nest, especially seeing as it’s one of the most respected venues in London! It’s got a very homely, but dark disco cavern like feel to it, perfect for gettin’ loose to some hefty basslines. We’ve only been running Grand hotel nights for a short time, but two massive sellout parties at XOYO have fuelled the fire, and we’re more than ready for round three.


Judging by the success and reaction to the Grand Hotel nights at XOYO, the Plumps transition from breakbeat to a bass-house/electro seems to have gone really well?

We make music that’s not only new and exciting, but gives us kicks. We’re not bothered about where it sits genre wise, but if it’s embraced into a particular style so be it. Our mission is to make people dance. All we have to do, is to find new ways to do it!


You guys have always had a loyal following, how have they reacted to this transition?

We’ve had heaps of support from recent Grand Hotel parties, and artists from various backgrounds across the globe have all been rinsin’ our new shit. But we’ve found that some people are finding our tunes hard to label or pigeonhole, some are really getting down to it, and some people are all about the older more break orientated records. To be honest, you can’t please everyone. We’re not servants to the general public. We’re the ones in the basement laboratory, experimenting with synths, pedals and samples all week, and we need to keep it fresh, or we’ll go insane!


And the new productions too, Hump Rock seems to be causing quite the stir?

Yeah,  the guy that did the cheeky vid, good on him. Made us smile for sure. Beats and big bass are still and always will be the glue to our sound. Hump Rock say’s just that, but in BIG lumps!

I know you guys handpicked the line up for The Nest. Are you excited by having all these acts on board?

Yeah, Loops Of Fury have remixed us, and we’ve returned the favour. Their twisted sound really gets the blood flowing in the early hours, and their really tearing things apart right now. Check out ‘We Unfold’ on U&A, you’ll get the picture. Cheap Thrills and their very own Detboi have really been an inspiration over the past year, with energy and pace coming from all directions. New signing ‘Submo’ has an absolutely massive number out this summer on Grand hotel entitled ‘Test Dem’. It’s been road tested, and is 100% killa. No. Shit. Plus with the local lads from SIren Dipity in the house, we will be having much to smile about.


And what can the Plumps fans expect from you guys?

Plenty of Plump. We are still totally committed to pushing our own sound, whilst enjoying the freedom of being underground artists and dj’s in the exciting and creative hub of Central London.


Finally, what are the plans for the rest of the 2011 for Plump DJ’s?

Grand Hotel gears up to drop Plump Dj’s Mark Ronson remix, Bonsai Kat returns with ‘Blah Blah’, Submo blows the place apart with ‘Test Dem’, and a shed load of touring across the UK including Glastonbury, Beathurder, Lounge On The Farm, Solfest. Hold tight for international tours and a special overseas Grand Hotel event… Plumpy!


Thanks guys, all the best for 2011. Keep em locked on Facebook, Twitter, Web



Get A Grip (VIP Edit) – Dirty Super Car



Brucey Click ‘im Bonus

 

Drum & Bass heads at the ready. This time around we are back with another installment of Eisandnose Exclusives, including mixtape and interview from up and coming Drum & Bass producer Kinetics. As if we haven’t banged on about Kinetics enough here on Eisandnose, this one’s extra special. 45 minutes of devilishly dark and technical rollers reflect a solid and well thought out mixtape that describes not only what his influences adhere to, but what you might expect to hear in a live Kinetics set. Having been involved in music since the tender age of twelve, 19 year old Jez Hadjuk of Midlands residency found Drum & Bass only a few years ago, and has since turned the heads of top podcast shows and Youtube channels across the globe. He is currently at University making waves in Music Production, and specializes in pushing real acoustic sounds with pumped up percussions and sultry synths for impressive effect. Other productions are dark and full of attitude, adding to a full bodied and varied portfolio of essential records. Be sure to keep Kinetics locked. Hold tight for future releases and extra hype, tracklist after the jump.

Who’s Kinetics, where do you come from, and what inspired you to start producing music?
I’m a 19 year old student studying music at Plymouth University. I come from a town in the Midlands called Oundle and love skating, making music and chilling with my friends. I used to produce Trance years back as a pastime and ended up doing an electronic production for my Music GCSE coursework. It got almost full marks, so that kind of made me think this is something I might want to take more seriously. A few years later my brother introduced me to Drum & Bass and I fell in love with it, so that’s when I got serious.

Your productions have a raw, acoustic feel to them. Do you play any instruments or come from a musical background?
Cheers, I think it’s important get the acoustic, human edge into Drum & Bass. Otherwise it just sounds stale. I’ve played Drums for about 7 or 8 years and Guitar for 5, with is quite useful when writing tracks. My dad’s quite musical; he was in a band when he was younger as a drummer. I guess that kind of wore off on me.


Caught Up – Kinetics


How would you describe your sound, and is there anything in particular that you try to achieve when you write a track?
I don’t really know. When I first started it was pretty much purely feel-good liquid tracks with some dance floor energy. But as I’ve delved into the genre more I’ve found a love for the more minimalist and deeper edge to Drum & Bass. I just think it’s important to always experiment, and not get stuck making the same tune repeatedly. I just try to achieve something that I would love to listen to, but I think it’s a good thing to try and learn something new with each track you make.

Music today is continually evolving. Sub genres are cropping up everywhere. What’s happening in Drum and Bass at the moment, is anything to come, and what do you feel people are looking for in bass music today?
I’ve only been into Drum & Bass for a few years, but over that time I’ve seen it become something that has gained a lot more mainstream appeal. You’ve got artists like Chase & Status and Pendulum who are really pushing it to the wider audiences which is a good thing, though not to my taste. You have to start somewhere in a genre and hopefully it will encourage more people to discover the depths that Drum & Bass has to offer. The underground is keeping the roots alive, focusing more on modernised fundamental Drum & bass elements. You’ve got artists such as Rockwell, Enei and Icicle kicking out some great tracks which are taking the sound in a new direction. Deeper, more minimalistic Drum & Bass is also very popular at the moment, and I think it’s a very interesting time.

Kinetics – A Glimpse Inside (Clip) [forth. Lifestyle Recordings] by Kinetics

Do you have any artists that you aspire to?
I try not to think things like ‘I want to be like artist X’, but there are some who inspire me a lot. Logistics has been one right from the start, he has a way with great melodies and good diversity. Currently rising star Icicle is another one. His deeper, aggressive take on Drum & Bass and Dubstep is brilliant. Another few off the top of my head are Break, Alix Perez, Jubei, Well Being, Lenzman and Rockwell.

What do you do for inspiration, and what happens when you get into the studio to start producing?
I guess a great inspiration for me is just listening to music. I have quite a broad taste so I try and take influences from a number of places. I get quite inspired when people leave me such nice comments on my tracks, it makes me happy that someone else can share in my love for making music. One thing I try and do when I get started on a new track is define what sound I’m going for right from the get go. Most of the time it will evolve into something else, but it helps me focus. If you don’t have an ending goal then it’s easy to just end up having 16 bars then losing interest in the track. I’ve currently got a bit of creative block which is frustrating. (Leave a perdy comment on Soundcloud)

What production equipment do you use, and have you any sneaky tricks or tips? Does it matter what you use to make music?
I’m currently using a Macbook Pro with Logic, Behringer MS40 monitros, a Logitech 2.1 system and Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Headphones. For my mixing I use a Numark Mixtrack Pro DJ Controller and Traktor. I hope to be upgrading my monitors soon, possibly to some Mackies. I don’t think it really matters what you use to make music. If something sounds sick then who cares? It’s about the finding the program that suits your workflow and does what you want it to. A tool is only as good as the person using it. I don’t know if I have any sneaky tricks or tips. A tip for getting nice full and dynamic drums is parallel bus compression. Also, producers seem to love putting huge amounts of compression when it comes to mastering , which just ruins the dynamics of the track. A great master can add a certain dimension to the track, but a bad one can ruin it somewhat.

Top student tip?
Try and make a few different friend groups. You wont always want to be with the same people. Also, if you don’t like it straight away, keep with it. You’ll most likely regret it if you pull out within the first month.

What’s in the Exclusive Eisandnose Mixtape that you’ve been so kind to put together for us?
I’ve tried to put together something which explores my deeper and more aggressive influences. It’s the kind of Drum & Bass that I’ve always wanted to make but I’ve not yet acquired the skills to do so.

What’s a perfect Kinetic’s day?
Getting up around 11am with the sun shining and tucking into a full english. Spend some times working on some tracks then just skate all day. Of course, ending it with my friends at a pub or club.

Thanks Kinetics, all the best for the future. Be sure to keep him locked on Soundcloud.


Kinetics – Eisandnose Exclusive Mixtape


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Let’s get funky… Really funky. Live and direct from the rolling Welsh green, Eisandnose Exclusives is proud to present to you the talented UKG phenomenon that is Benjamin Damage. A mastercraft of sound, surefooted and forward thinking Damage crosses the boundaries of today’s thriving bass scene to produce upbeat and delicate, techno influenced bass music. After  a well balenced bassline diet along with partner in crime Venom, he was snapped up to add to the portfolio of Modeselecta’s ’50 Weapons’ label, and has since been churning out massive techno-house and bass infused smashers. From funky to bassline, and recent productions that tap a 2 step front, Damage is on a mission to help reinvent the bass scene as we know it. Pushing tropical percussions, twisting synths and bendy basslines for tracks that roll seamlessly into unchartered waters. Mission aside, we blagged the chap for a natter to find out about his preferred chocolate, and bagged an intense, jam packed Minimix to top the cake. Be sure to keep Benjamin locked, tracklisting after the jump.

 

So Benjamin, where are you from, who are you and what are you good at?
Im Benjamin Damage, a producer and DJ from Wales. What I try to do is take what I love from techno, house and the UK bass scene, filter it down and see what comes out.


What are you up to right now?
I’m working on new material for the project with Doc Daneeka on 50 Weapons.  The first release “Creeper / Infamous” has just come out and we are putting together a live show for Melt! Festival in Berlin.  Im also working on a lot of solo material which will come to light later in the year.


UKG stands as an umbrella term for all things riddim, bassline, grime, funky and dub. What’s happening in the scene right now, and what’s fresh about the UK, production wise?
Its an unusual time in that nobody really wants to define the genre.  There hasn’t been a name which everyone has agreed on, people don’t want to be pigeonholed and its pulling in a lot of different directions.  I find it very exciting because you can do whatever you want!


Tell us about Modeselekta, & 50 weapons. Do the artists and involvement influence your own productions?
Techno has long been close to my heart and I love some of the stuff they have done. The production is beautiful, and you get a sense that they really know music.  They are musicians first, not just producers. I’m a big fan of Moderat too. In the sense that 50 weapons influences my music, I guess its difficult to say.  Subconsciously perhaps.  They don’t give out any direction about genres other than ‘We want more great music!’ which works for me…


You recently dropped the awesome ‘Antidote EP’. Where would you say your musical ethics lie, and what are you trying to push?
I’m always looking for new ideas, new sounds.  I have some hardware synths which I find very useful in getting interesting sounds out of.  I find it much more rewarding than programming VST instruments, which always sound like a cheap copy of the real thing, despite what the reviews say. I go through phases where I think maybe software has caught up, but as soon as I get my moog routed through the dp/4 its a whole different world.


Tell us about your label, Solva. Who should we keep an ear out for, and have you any exciting plans for the year ahead?
I’ve got a few artists with really great ideas but not quite ready for release right now.  I will be keeping my ear close to the ground and be ready when the finished tunes come my way.


So come on, who’s these ‘Venom & Damage‘ chaps, and what’s the deal with these monster mixtapes?
They came about when we got ridiculously excited over the bassline scene, which was not very widely known outside the north of England at the time. Everything seemed fresh and new and it was good fun putting them together.  It was great fun at the time.


What advice would you give to aspiring producers. What do you look for in artists works?
The simple answer is everything.  The sounds, the production, the structure and the originality are all very important, but the main thing is the musicality.  At a time where there is so much music out there, there has to be a reason for it to exist – it has to do something that hasn’t been done before.


What’s in the Eisandnose Exclusive Mixtape you’ve been kind enough to put together for us?
Its a minimix of some of my favourite 2011 tunes so far, though there are a few in their from last year too.  There are couple more which could have gone on there, but I’m sworn to secrecy right now!


Mars bars or milky ways?
Mars planets.


Thanks to Benjamin Damage, all the best for 2011. Keep him locked on Facebook and Souncloud


 

Benjamin Damage – Eisandnose Exclusive Minimix

 

 

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