Electronic|Music|Wales

A quick chat with Lou Hekla about his new project Slymoove

2012-02-11T00:34:00.000Z

"Slymoove is basically the future of my musical path and why I took this route was because I felt I needed to break the mould and climb out certain holes you get stuck in while learning this shit..."

HJ: Welcome to EMW. Can you please tell us a little bit about who and what Slymoove is?

SM: Slymoove is basically the future of my musical path and why I took this route was because I felt I needed to break the mould and climb out certain holes you get stuck in while learning this shit... It's like starting from scratch but with 12 years experience.. I heard this saying last year sometime and can't remember who or where it from but it goes like this 'Delete your first 30 tracks because nobody wants to hear you learning'.Then I say That shit got to Bang if you want to roll with the QC Gang Ha!

HJ: As Hekla Kosh you have been making Hip Hip beats alongside the Squid Ninjaz and also as a solo beatmaker with some of the best Hip Hop artists around. What made you want to venture in to new terrotries with Slymoove?

SM: Yea they were good times for me things were getting done.....but then....
Times change rappers fade and just the whole waiting game with getting projects done people together verses recorded... Where talking I've done beats and verses for people 2/3 years back and still haven't heard it..That don't work for me so I took a step back and went solo.

"Gonzo Lazer Bounce" ~ Slymoove - Raunchy Distortion EP

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://slymoove.com/album/raunchy-distortion-ep-slymoove"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Raunchy Distortion EP - Slymoove - by Slymoove&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

HJ: You've just released Raunchy Distortion as a free download available through your Bandcamp. What can we expect to hear on this EP?

SM: Gonzo Lazer Bounce

HJ: Any future plans for Slymoove in terms of further releases?

SM: Yea I'm 3 tracks in on a project called 'Robbed Stagga' a few weeks back I kidnapped Stagga and held him hostage at Gun point fed him full of Drugs and jacked his style and made a EP so look out for that.

HJ: As it's coming up to valentines day, what is the drink of choice to impress your lady friend on that special date?

SM: Special Date? Nah bruv I'm like a bad movie straight to Dvd if you know what I'm saying ha...

Vanilla Rum Gang G's up bitches going down Brakkka!

Slymoove Music Contact Info:

Slymoove@gmail.com
Twitter: @LouHekla
Facebook.com/Slymoove

www.slymoove.com

Listen/Download the EMW mini mix w/tracklisting

2012-01-30T17:32:00.000Z

Intro w/ Cen
Cen and NTM - Don't You Know (White Label)
Trwbador - Sun In The Winter (Owlet Music)
Jauge - Mind Fried (White Label)
Broke n Phono - Sticky Foot (Sativastorm Remix) (White Label)
Rezaloot - Toys (White Label)
.Cycle - Funkai (White Label)
-------------------------------------------
Local Produce Mix by Boundary aka Kirk Holland (Black House)
Muteqx - Chronicles (Echo Dub)
Brad Sucks - Thanks For The Add (Sine Here Remix) (White Label)
Herobot & Pasteman - Off The Chain (White Label)
-------------------------------------------
Secret Lemon Project - Ningmeng Zhang (SLPD001)
Ivy Cairo - Love Falls Away (White Label)
Xentrix - Tinkerbell (White Label)
Spark7 Ft. Simon Latham - So Automatic (Audio:Hertz Remix) (Ispirato Records)
Curtis B - Throw It Up (Easy Buffalo and Undersound Remix) (Krispy Beatz)
Paranoid Scarecrow - Crowfoot Wrench (White Label)
Hor5e - Take Me Back (Demo)
Alias Unknown - Clear Cut (White Label)
Xentrix - Annwn (White Label)
Head Mix Collective - Re-Evolution (Optimystic Remix) (White Label)
Abstract Beats Ft. KBG - Count Your Blessings (White Label)
Outro w/ Quiet Noise - Paper Cuts (Kift Flipper)

Big love to everyone who contributed to the mix and to anyone who has shown their support!!!

BBC Radio 1 Introducing Mini Mix feature

2012-01-27T13:51:00.004Z

To coincide with the West Wales music feature on BBC Radio 1 Introducing with Jen Long this Sunday I thought I'd better take this opportunity to mention some of the amazing music coming out of the area. I found myself stumbling over words and forgetting to mention half of the people I was meant to in the radio interview so I guess this is my final attempt to redeem myself... Tune in from midnight on the 29th January.

First there's a new EP from Billy Phono who collaborates once more with Broke MC on the awesome Broken Phonograph. Check it out on Broke MCs Bandcamp. Also check out Billy Phono's Bandcamp for some sweets billyphono.bandcamp.com

brokenphonograph by brokenphonograph

The Sativastorm remix of Stickyfoot features in the mini mix, Sativa Storm is a producer originally from Amanford who has an ear for dirty beats and has worked with Billy Phono and Cen on recent mixtapes including Trees Are Weird. Cen's recent track 'Don't You Know' with producer NTM features also. It's DOPE!

Owlet Music are a small label started by Trwbador, check the original track 'Sun In The Winter' on the mini mix. It's available from their website as a free download with a chance to remix the track also.

Rezaloot are a production duo from West Wales who have been featured in Koan Sound mix sets and are constantly putting out 100bpm tracks with enough funk and plenty of bass. Watch out for the track 'Toys' in the mix plus an interview coming soon with a very special exclusive for EMW. In the meantime grab a free download of their track Killuminati. >>> MEDIAFIRE <<<

.Cycle is a fresh name in Carmarthen with tracks touching on Glitch Hop and Dubstep. His track Funkai is featured.

The mix also features the previously interviewed Dub Lemon and Secret Lemon Project with a sneak peak at their latest offering Ningmeng Zhang. The original version is due for release early this year alongside a D+B version and a remix by Kryptix.

Xentrix normally known for his drum and bass productions has contributed an exclusive track called 'Tinkerbell' to the mix. An unashamedly heavy 140 bpm smasher. The track Annwn also features and is a deep, minimal drum and bass roller. Lush!

Staying on the drum and bass tip the mix also features another exclusive from Carmarthenshire production duo Alias Unknown. One half of Alias Unknown is Hitch Glopper who recently won the Allsorts DJ comp up in Swansea at the Monkey Cafe and has just secured a weekly show on Filth FM. His first show will be airing this next Wednesday from 6pm - 8pm.

Hor5e also appear with their track titled 'Take Me Back'. Still in their early stages, the group wanted to put this track out there to get some feedback. Check it out on their Soundcloud.

Audio:Hertz have been building up momentum over the last year, hitting Beatport charts and getting invited to play in Europe. Their remix of Spark7 is a great introduction.

In terms of dance music events one crew to look out for our Rigdiculous. Putting on a line of successful nights last year at Castell Howel holiday park they don't seem to be slowing down this year with the Rig Djs performing at massive 'One' event in Aberystwyth next weekend (4th Feb) and then their first night of the year planned for the 18th February, 2012 looks to be another strong year for this non-profit group. Check their video from the last night with Stenchman.

The night before the 18th, Dreadzone Soundsystem will be returning to the West after a slamming night at The Parrot. With support from one of the best bands around Regime. It will be held in Narbeth at the Queens Hall. Check the event page for more info - Dreadzone Soundsystem plus support at the Queens Hall, Narbeth.

Further up the coast, Aberystwyth has lots of exciting events coming up with before mentioned 'One' being the first happening on the 4th Feb at Aberystwyth Arts Center.

"One is a new approach we're trying, with the place saturated with promoters and different nights, we're aiming to bring everyone together as a community to put on one massive event together, showcasing what the area has to offer." ~ Kirk Holland (Black House/Swing City)

They also put on a night called Swing City with the next event, a masquerade ball happening on the 17th Feb at the Angel in Aberystwyth. Swing City is the leading Electro Swing night in Wales and has already managed to arrange stages at two festivals in Wales this year, Beach Break Live at Pembrey country park and Landed near Rhayader!

Kirk Holland has put together a 5 min mix for EMW and BBC Introducing featuring producers from the area. Here's the censored version and tracklist. All these tracks are by producers around the Aberystwyth area.

Muteqx - Chronicles (Echo Dub)

Brad Sucks - Thanks For The Add (Sine Here Remix)

Herobot & Pasteman - Off The Chain (Unreleased)

Triglyph Audio & Boundary - Reem (Badness rmx) (Demo)

One of the producers featured on this mix Muteqx has recently released his album 'Chronicles' on the excellent Echodub label. A deep approach to dubstep, focused subs and stunning atmosphere. Take a listen to his album preview and grab a copy from any good digital music retailer.

Muteqx - Chronicles EDUB014 preview by Echodub

Also grab a free download of the featured track - Brad Sucks - Thanks For The Add (Sine Here Remix)

Another producer well worth a mention is Easy Buffalo, recent tracks include collaboration with Undersound on a remix of 'Throw It Down' by Curtis B plus original tracks featuring Cardiff MC Redeye and Welsh soul singer Chloe Laing. A mixture of Hip Hop, Soul, Broken Beats and House music.

Long time contributor to the West Wales music scene formerly part of the Unfit DJs who have graced many a shin dig with their DJ sets, Paranoid Scarecrow has recently been delving in to the hypnotic rhythms of Mombahton. His latest offering 'Crowfoot Wrench' is featured in the mix and is available as free download on his Soundcloud.

A new label Sub Element Recordings is on the cards from May 2012. Matt from Analogue People explains -

"Sub Element is going to be a digital only label specialising in electro and psy breaks. Expect to see some big names dropping tunes on it whilst promoting unsigned acts with remixes by bigger names to raise their profile, first release due may this year." ~ Matt Analogue

On the other side of the spectrum, Pembrokshire net label Kift Flipper are focusing on experimental electronic music with found sound beats from producer Quiet Noise to acoustic noodlings from Bagpipe Whiskey. Take a look through their archives. The track Paper Cuts by Quiet Noise features in the mix and is available as a free download through Kift Flipper.

Karen Morgan is a singer originally from St Davids. With several projects on the go with producers around the Bristol area, you may recognise her voice from the group Innamorati who have performed a couple of times at EMW Presents events. Her latest project 'Ivy Cairo' are a live act who blend the bass and beats of Dub step with violin from Tom Upton and the vocal talents of Karen Morgan. The track 'Love Falls Away' features in the mini mix. Look out for an interview on EMW soon.

Optimystic is predominantly a Drum and Bass producer who grew up in West Wales and is also known to tear up dancefloors with his DJing skills. His recent remix of Head Mix Collective is a mixture of Dub horns and Drum and Bass rhythms. Imagine Manu Chao put through a junglists blender.

Abstract Drumz is a Jungle and Drum and Bass producer from Cardigan, his intricate edits and deep basslines make for great headphone listening as well as quality dancefloor music. The track 'Count Your Blessings' with vocalist KBG finishes the mix off nicely.

In other news watch out for Jungle Breaks putting on nights this year. Jungle Breaks was started by DJ and producer Amentality. Check his blog junglebreaks.blogspot.com

The mix will be going out on the 29th January, It will be available as a free download straight after. It was really difficult to get everything in to 15 mins so I had to concentrate on West Wales. I will be posting up an extended mix featuring tracks from Slymooves, Stantz, Face + Heel, Ifan Dafydd and more. Big love

Jewellers get full release and BBC Introducing spotlights Wales

2012-01-19T02:12:00.001Z

Having briefly blogged about Jewellers last year I am ashamed to say I completely forgot about them, until now! Listening to Jen Long's excellent show on Radio 1 I was lucky to catch a short mix by the pair that is a great introduction to their music. Lots of melodies, beats and a great use of vocals. Take a listen to their most recent offering 'Sleep Education', that's just been given a full release on independent label, The Sounds Of Sweet Nothing and make your own mind up.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://jewellersmusic.com/album/sleep-education"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Sleep Education by Jewellers&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

BBC Introducing are currently doing a spotlight on different areas of Wales. Last week Jen Long looked at Newport (listen to the show here) with features from Fernquest, Antizzle and Jewllers. This Sunday Jen heads to Swansea with a feature with Doc Daneeka and Benjamin Damage plus a live session from The Last Republic. The week after will shine a light on West Wales music and I am very proud to be able to be apart of the show with a 15 min mix and an interview alongside The Conductors, Aled Thomas. We'll be talking about bands, producers, venues and events that make up the West Wales music scene. If you have anything to share with us please don't hesitate to get in touch on Facebook (Electronic Music Wales), Twitter (@EMWBlog) or by email (electronic.music.wales@gmail.com).

Inti Rowland interview in run up to the release of "Eyes of a Starling" on 12th January 2012.

2012-01-09T16:03:00.003Z

Eyes Of A Starling by INTI ROWLAND

"Released 12th January 2012 through intirowland.bandcamp.com"

Following on from the excellent "The Ballad of a Ballroom Ghost", Inti Rowland, a solo singer/songwriter based in North London decided to take his next project to the valleys, hills and trees of Wales. Recording "Eyes of a Starling" in a converted barn in South Wales with a forest as the backdrop and no mobile signal as inspiration. To celebrate the release of his latest EP on the 12th January, Inti Rowland talks a little about the recording and future works.

HJ: Tell me a little about your latest EP 'Eyes of a Starling'.

IR: With this record I wanted to take a different approach. We make a record in a church in March last year 'The Ballad Of The Ballroom Ghost', the sessions for that were very stripped back and mainly consisted of vocal, guitar and a bit of harmonica. With 'Eyes Of A Starling' I wanted to explore more orchestration and to work more with embellishing the songs with the kind of arrangements that would give it epic elements that could sit snug next to sparse guitar work, always giving the words room to breathe.

HJ: I noticed with your recordings there's always an element of catching the moment rather than relying on post production.

IR: Defiantly, we made this record in three days, we'd had two afternoons over the summer to get some rough idea's down for string arrangements, but for me the most important thing is always to capture the songs raw and honest.

HJ: You recorded this EP in a barn in Wales surrounded by woodlands and hills. So far detached from your last EP that was recorded in a disused church in London.

IR: I've always felt that the location of recording is really important. People write songs that relate to what ever they chose, be it events in their lives or stories they get out of recycling bins, but the moment you record a song and put it out into the world, it's no longer yours and therefore the place you record it like the harbor where you say your last farewell, and it bleeds into the songs. On the church e.p I can hear crows in the graveyard and bells in the clock tower, on this one I hear the woods and the streams.

"On the church e.p I can hear crows in the graveyard and bells in the clock tower, on this one I hear the woods and the streams."

HJ: You recorded Eyes of a Starling with 2 other musicians, Psalm Rowe and Megan Jenkins and it was engineered by Jackson Dimiglio Wood. How did you all come to work together on this project?

IR: Me and Jackson have been recording together for a while now, having worked together on the last record as well. Psalm and Jackson had played together previously in a band called St.Spirit. Megan came in to play violin and sing and is in her own right a singer/songwriter.

HJ: You wrote all the songs on this EP. It is obvious from your lyrics that you are influenced heavily by the english language with a use of words that you would expect in poetry as much as songs.

IR: Yeah, I believe that in songwriting it is as much important to burry yourself in literature as it is music. I read a lot of Dylan Thomas and W.H Auden. As well as John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac.

HJ: When did you start playing guitar and how has your playing style evolved over the years that you have been a player?

IR: I started playing when I was 13, the first song I learnt to play was 'Blowin' in the Wind' by Bob Dylan. Over the years I spent a lot of time listening to Nick Drake, Davy Graham and Bert Jansch, it was those guitarists that really sparked my love of fingerpicking, working with a guitar that dances gives a whole different rhythm to the words.

HJ: You plan to tour this year alongside Megan. Where can we expect to see you playing in the next couple of months?

IR: We'll be playing in London a lot and have shows in Brighton and Bristol too, possibly be heading over to Ireland at some point. But really eager to be playing in and around the UK as much as possible.

"We'll be playing in London a lot and have shows in Brighton and Bristol too, possibly be heading over to Ireland at some point. But really eager to be playing in and around the UK as much as possible." - For bookings contact intirowlandmusic@gmail.com

HJ: In terms of future plans, aspirations. What would you like to achieve?

IR: I'd love to write songs for films, not in a traditional sense of scoring music for a film, but actually being given a script and a brief to write songs about/from the perspective of the characters, work that links directly to their stories and aspirations. I'd also really love to get these records out on some small independent labels, just as a platform for more people to be able to hear the songs.

HJ: You've also recently worked with Producer and Clearskyz label owner DJ Die. Now you have a possible collaboration with Die and Rodney P on the cards. Tell us a little about this.

IR: Sure, it was a little while ago now, I was down in Bristol working with Die on some folk/hip hop experimental stuff, when he played me this old ska song he'd been working on, I laid down some vocals for the chorus and left it at that, a few weeks later Rodney P was down doing a gig in Bristol and Die played it to him and he ended up writing all the verses for it, not sure what's happening with it now though, I think we need to finish it.

HJ: When will "Eyes of a Starling" be released?

IR: January 12th 2012.

Make sure to take a listen to Inti Rowlands last EP "The Ballad of a Ballroom Ghost" on his Bandcamp (intirowland.bandcamp.com) and remember to check the latest release "Eyes of a Starling" available from 12th January 2012. Look out for his live show this year.

Alfred Anonymous

2011-12-03T21:32:00.002Z

Alfred Anonymous
Live DJ Mashup/Duo (Big Vibes Party Set)
(House, Electro, Dubstep, Techno, Bassline and Future Garage)

http://www.soundcloud.com/alfredanonymous
http://www.facebook.com/alfredanonymous

Alfred Anonymous are on the road and looking for UK dates. Having recently supported Plump DJs under the legendary C-Y-N-T night and set to play alongside Plumps again at Oxygen- Swansea as well as Human Error- London, Alfred Anonymous are on their way to tearing the UK apart next year with bass heavy beats, Funky Future Garage, heart pumping House and a ton of club jumping bangers. Alfred Anonymous is the collaborative project between Louis Derry (Oscar Later), Mathew Birch.

THE LIVE SHOW

The Alfred Anonymous live show consists of one master computer running Ableton with multiple midi controllers linked via a master Ableton session, this enables the duo to improvise, effect, build, drop and mash tracks live and on the spot using loops and intelligent structuring. Throughout all the Alfred Anonymous live shows the duo always keep the party vibes going throughout any set to make sure they keep the hearts pumping and crowds jumping. House, Electro, Dubstep, Techno, Bassline and Future Garage Alfred Anonymous loves it all and further that loves mashing it all together in one big juicy set.

Alfred likes to DROP/MIX/MASHUP the following artists-

Fake Blood, Surkin, L-Vis 1990, Audio Bullys, Bassment Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Flying Lotus, Joy Orbison, Funtcase, Drop The Lime, Redial, Herve, LCD Soundsystem, Soulwax, Julio Bashmore,
Le Youth, Louis La Roche, Hostage, Rustie, Siriusmo, Deadmau5, Switch, Alexandre Louvre, Addison Groove, Burial, C.R.S.T, A. Skillz, Canblaster, Caravan Palace, Mosca, Punks Jump Up, The Chemical Brothers.

Alfred Anonymous Explained
Straight up! Lets get this clear- Alfred knows no genre, we just like to get people moving. Genres come and go so fast these days we don't like to be so niche when there is such good music out there for us to mash up. We normally use House as a buttery biscuit base, but honestly we love it all : Dance music, Electro, Techno, Future Garage, Bassline, Hip Hop, Wonk. As long as the hearts are pumping and feet jumping you're on track. Thats why we love putting together live sets specific to certain brands and club nights, we take the elements of what works with their crowds and convert it all via the ears of Alfred. Within our live sets we always stick to using loops and intelligent structuring so when it comes to our performances we can improvise structure, acapellas drops, effects. It's nice being able to work with such a variety of dance music in a way where you can still improvise your performance and give the people watching a form of value in listening to something unique. When you see what normal DJs do with vinyl, CDs, MP3 - don't get me wrong, it is an absolute artform, we just prefer to put a lot of effort into the preparation of our sets and then the live set becomes a performance instead of a sweaty ball ache.

http://soundcloud.com/alfredanonymous/alfred-anonymous-c-y-n-t
http://soundcloud.com/alfredanonymous/nathan-fake-the-sky-was-pink
http://www.facebook.com/alfredanonymous

Galaxy Dance Project Uganda benefit gig tonight

2011-11-11T14:00:00.000Z

Check this powerful video from our good friends at Galaxy Dance Project Uganda. Tonight we will be holding a benefit gig at The Parrot, Carmarthen to raise awareness and support for this amazing project thats bringing children and young people together through the strength of Hip Hop dance.

Facebook event page

Upcoming events

2011-11-03T02:03:00.000Z

EMW Presents... Galaxy Dance Project Uganda benefit gig

EMW & Innamorati Familia Presents... with Special guests at The Croft, Bristol

EMW Presents Halloween Special photos

2011-11-03T01:53:00.001Z

What a night! A great crowd turned up and there were some seriously good costumes...

Iwan Morgan dropped by on the way to recording in Cardiff with Richard James to play a great mixture of tracks from african rhythms too electro, it was a great pleasure to have him open the night.

Next up the excellent Hitch Glopper played a really well put together hour of Glitch Hop and Jungle that suited the dancefloor perfectly.

Rezaloot came down and played their version of bass music with a great selection of homegrown bass destroyers. Check them out on Soundcloud and like their Facebook page.

Rezaloot - killuminati - Free Download in Description by Rezaloot

PR1 put down a great selection of Hip Hop vinyl to get the floor warmed up for Stagga and the response was top banana!

Stagga, Joe Blow and Skamma MC all put on a great show, getting the crowd hyped up and putting down some heavy bars over Stagga's 70 min set that took on Grime, Dub Step and Drum And Bass throughout.

Stagga - Be The Generals (Wermonster Remix) FREE DOWNLOAD by Slit Jockey Records

Finishing off the night was one of Project Roach's creators Man Versus Sofa on the decks alongside Paranoid Scarecrow. The dancefloor didn't clear till kick out!!! Good times...

More photos on Facebook by Shot By Me. A huge thanks to everyone that made it to the night! Peace

EMW Presents Stagga with Joe Blow and Skamma MC 28.10.11

2011-09-20T23:20:00.001+01:00

EMW Presents Halloween special

An interview with up and coming producer Jauge

2011-09-08T23:07:00.001+01:00

Find Jauge on Facebook

After performing an outstanding live set at the last EMW Presents, not only did I realise that George aka Jauge was one of the most promising producers that I've heard coming out of Wales, but also that he was another person like myself obsessed with sound and it's potential to change mind states and enhance our sometimes dull existence. Here we talk a little about production, future plans and music that is floating the boat this year. Enjoy.

HJ: Hello and welcome to EMW. Please introduce yourself to our readers.

J: Hi there, my name is George Stockton and I go under the alias of Jauge. I'm originally from Devon and am now based in Cardiff. I'm about to begin a MA in Creative Music Practice at Newport University.

The music I aim to create is a mixture of wonky beats with an ambient atmosphere and the odd glitched, minimal vocals. I like the detachment of words with vocal tone so you'll probably hear a few abstract vocals here and there...

HJ: How did you get into writing music?

J: I've been around music from a young age. Spent a lot of time being terrified in my Dad's band practices. I listened to a lot of 12 bar blues due to this. I started by teaching myself piano and messing around with drum beats off a Yamaha keyboard...as you do when you're young. I then taught myself guitar and I spent a lot time recording onto my 4 track Tascam, being a bit of a bedroom guitarist.

I played bass in a funk, rock band for 3 years doing pubs and band competitions which was fun however, the usual band issues evolved and the band ended and I went to Uni to do Psychology. 2 weeks in a decided I wanted to do something I enjoyed and got an interview on Creative Sound and Music at Newport...Mental course and since then got into electronic music and now I am here making this stuff.

HJ: Since getting in to electronic music which producers have you most been influenced by?

J: Literally so many producers have influenced the stuff I make. I'd say a huge influence would have to be Flying Lotus. I think he coined the tongue in cheek term 'Wonky' music. Over the past year or two I have been listening to artists like Aphex Twin, Bonobo, Jon Hopkins, Gold Panda, Baths, Kona Triangle, Telefon Tel Aviv, I could go on for days. Closer producers like Billy Phono have been a huge help in getting me to where I am. Tim Land (Landslide) has helped immensely in helping me shape my sound. All of the producers who exist on soundcloud have helped me decide how to create my music too.

Jauge - Demo by Jauge

"I would love to work with more vocalists and instrument players to add more of a twist to my sound." Future collaborations

HJ: You have a lot of found sound in your music. How do you source these sounds?

J: In terms of found sound, I'd say it is a mixture of just simple field recordings and any free sounds I like the textures of that are sitting on free sourcing websites. Mostly the high end frequency sounds that can be side chained to a kick is pretty much all I go for. All the beats are individual hits sourced from many different people. I tend to use Alchemy Ambient synth pack for all the pads.

HJ: Do you find that there is a good response too the sounds you play when performing live?

J: Ooo tough one... I think the there are elements that people can relate to, which is cool, however, in terms of how it may be perceived I'm not too sure. The majority of feedback for the few gigs I've done people have said its 'deep', 'trippy', and then related it to a few producers mentioned earlier, all of which is great to hear. I guess it is appreciated...

HJ: Your live set in the parrot for EMW was a great mixture of uptempo rhythms and more experimental sounds. Can you explain your live set up and methods briefly?

J: I really enjoyed the gig in The Parrot for a start, so thanks to all who were there! I'm really trying to mash musical elements together that don't necessarily sit in the D&B, Dubstep, House etc vibe (Love mixing all of it by the way!). I guess through what I've learned studying CSM is that I really wanted to push the experimental sound combining it with recognized sounds... If that doesn't sound too obvious??? . I understand that certain formulas really work when DJing like quantized beats etc but the idea is to create a rhythm that is more irregular but still maintains an overall 'stomp'/movement which, when experienced makes sense.

"I also feel a deviation from the original tracks wouldn't go a miss to really bring in a DIY, wonky element to it... I'm not too sure yet how it will evolve, but it will." Juage on evolving his live set

HJ: How can you see your live set evolving?

J: 'Economic' is what I thought for the live set. Can you do it out of a back pack??? I use Ableton for the DJ and improvised/experimental side of the set. I tried to keep things simple with a few channels available for live sampling (mainly vocals and for some strange reason glockenspiel) to manipulate whilst playing out the stems of tracks. I only use an Mbox, Mic and Novation MIDI controller.

I think a more visual set would be a huge help towards the development of the live set. I also feel a deviation from the original tracks wouldn't go a miss to really bring in a DIY, wonky element to it... I'm not too sure yet how it will evolve, but it will.

HJ: In terms of producers you have found recently, who do you rate? Who would you most like to collaborate with currently?

J: Ooo, tough one again. Producer wise in terms of what I listen to currently one would have to be Samiyam (that would be cool) loving his style at the mo and others like Baths, Toro Y Moi, Keaver & Brause, YoungMontana and Tropics... So many...People like Sina, Illl who I follow on SoundCloud. I still really want to work with Billy Phono, Oscarlater, Trwbador and Landslide. I would love to work with more vocalists and instrument players to add more of a twist to my sound.

Sina. - From Love To Dust by Sina.

HJ: Can you explain your production set up briefly for all the tech heads?

J: Set up wise its pretty small and simple, something I need to invest in more, but I currently use Logic for most ideas and a Novation Mk25sl (Or something like that) MIDI controller for doing live automated filters within a synth program called Alchemy to get more of a live feel when recording. I tend to finalise tracks in Pro Tools within the Uni studios because it feels like a different approach to the tracks which mostly help to improve not just sound but also composition.

HJ: Where would you most like to perform?

J: I'd really like to plan a little trip around small intimate venues i.e. cafe/bars in the UK or Europe just doing it out of a back pack. For now I really want to hit Bristol more to places like Start The Bus (I think that's it's name) but there are also a few venues in Cardiff I want to try and get involved with, its just finding a promoter/night that my music suits really. London would be cool too for sure.

HJ: Ok. Top 5 tunes of 2011 so far for you?

Top 5 - No particular order.

Nicholas Jaar - Wouh

Gill Scott Heron & Jamie xx - I'm New Here

Gold Panda - Fifth Ave

Prefuse 73 - The Only Contact She's Willing To Give.

Samiyam - Escape

HJ: What is your beverage of choice?

J: Anything with % on it.

Many thanks to Jauge for performing at our latest EMW Presents and for taking the time out for this interview. Hope to be doing more with this excellent producer soon. Peace

Record Store Day 2011 at Tangled Parrot

2011-09-07T23:16:00.002+01:00

Record Store Day 20011 @ Tangled Parrot from Tangled Parrot on Vimeo.

A short film by Stephen Austin documenting Record Store Day 2011 at Tangled Parrot. Featuring performances from Alex Dingley, Trwbador, H-Hawkline and good friends Nick and Katia.

EMW Presents promo and Kryptix mix

2011-09-02T19:52:00.001+01:00

It's been a while since the last post so apologies for that. The good news is that there's a lot in the pipeline including the next couple of EMW Presents and a special benefit gig for Galaxy Dance Project Uganda who are doing great work in Africa and need the support for a show in December. Check their video out on You Tube and like their Facebook group to keep up to date.

The next EMW Presents will be on 28th October with special guest Stagga who has been pushing his Dubstep sound for some time and has recently released his album 'The Warm Air Room' on Rag & Bone.

Stagga - 'The Warm Air Room' - album out now by ragandbone

Also watch out for a scratch set from PR1 who was involved in Cardiff Hip Hop crew Optimus Prime and Iwan Morgan who has worked with top artists including Cate Le Bon and Richard James. Lots more news coming soon so please keep checking back and check out the Facebook event page here. It's a Halloween special so fancy dress is essential!

For the last EMW Presents we had some great artist's performing including the previously interviewed Rural Soundsystem, Jungletrain.net DJ Condition, Cardiff producer Jauge (interview coming soon), Amentality who also features on the promo, a great set from Radar and a live set from Kryptix. To coincide with the night I gave out free USB wristbands with tracks from some of the artists performing. A good 2 months have passed now so I have decided to share with you the tracks that were on the wristband. Please use responsibly!

Here's a link (ZSHARE)

I would also like to share with you a mix by Kryptix which is a close example of what his live set was like on the night.

KryptiX DJ Show Demo 2011-2012 by DJKryptiX

Much love and until the next post. Peace

Condition Q&A in run up to EMW Presents... 29.07.11

2011-07-18T20:43:00.006+01:00

For some time now DJ and producer Paco aka Condition has been plugging away at promoting good music through guest DJ slots on online radio, U Streams and DJing out at club nights all over. Keep checking his Soundcloud because he is constantly updating with new beats and mixes. In run up to his Jungle set at EMW Presents and in light of his new weekly spot on the excellent jungletrain.net, Condition takes a second to answer some Q's.

HJ: Welcome to EMW. Please introduce yourself to readers who may not know your work.

C: Hi, I'm Paco also known as Condition, I have been collecting and playing records to audiences since 1995 as Paco and I started trying to produce in 1999 using the alias Condition.

HJ: Both a producer and DJ, how did music start to play such a major part in your life?

C: I was into music from 8 years old, I come from a musical background my Grandfather Del Turner (R.I.P) was an accomplished trumpet player on the south England Jazz circuit performing regularly and even appearing at Ronnie Scott's, so I was naturally interested in music, I got a guitar at about 10 years old and started from there really.

HJ: You have DJ'd for several years now on radio and in clubs. What keeps you going?

C: To be honest if I wasn't involved in playing and making music I don't know what I'd be like now!!! I suppose ultimately it's the love of finding and hearing new material and the drive to make and share my own music.

HJ: You are a passionate collector of vinyl. What is it about digging that keeps you going back?

C: Ah, well the short answer is addiction, much in the same way a crack head craves rocks, I crave a steady supply of vinyl lol.

It really all started out with me wanting to find the tracks I heard on rave tapes from 1990 onwards really, I never knew what the majority of the tunes that I grew up with were bar the Rock, Metal and Hip Hop I waslistening to, so the drive came from there I guess and the thirst for knowledge, a key point worth mentioning is the moment of realization when you uncover a hidden gem is the bomb in short!

So it's that really that keeps me digging, I'm still looking for a lot of tracks that I know like the back of my hand from old tapes but don't know what they are along with finding new stuff to listen to or mix.

Since I started using Discogs some years ago I have managed to find and buy some of my all time favourite tracks across many genres, but some of the ones I really want the presses are worth in excess of £50 and some very very limited so there is some stuff I know I may never get hold of!!

HJ: What recent finds are you most happy about?

C: Here's a few recent purchases of mine that I'm very happy to get;

Paradox - Ramifications LP - Paradox Music 2011

Lee Perry - Super Ape Inna Jungle LP - Ariwa - 1995

Boymerang - Pro-Active EP - Leaf - 1995

Burning Spear - Social Living LP - Onestop - 1978

LTJ Bukem - Horizons - LGR - 1995

Dr Alimantado - Sons Of Thunder LP - Greensleeves - 1981

Nebula - Astral Soul EP - Subtle Audio - 2011

"The show's will consist of Jungle Drum and Bass ranging from it's conception back in the golden era '92/'93 up to the present day, also with new material from lesser know producers including myself"

HJ: You've just recently bagged a weekly slot on jungletrain.net. How did this come about and what can we expect from your shows?

C: Ah the mighty Jungletrain :) Originally I picked up on the station some years back when I started checking out some of the archive shows from the Scientific Wax show hosted by Equinox, I then went on to get involved in the chat while listening to other shows and was lucky enough to have a few of the Djs play my tracks, namely Antidote UK, Arnicus NL, Subfilter NL and War//Breaker US. I just networked and was lucky enough to get offered a show, although I went through the same procedure as anyone does to apply for a show.

Shouts to Burnrate and Ombrios for getting me set up :)

The show's will consist of Jungle Drum and Bass ranging from it's conception back in the golden era '92/'93 up to the present day, also with new material from lesser know producers including myself :)

"The venue is really nice too with the shop above, I have played there twice so far and look forward to playing the EMW gig, I will be playing a few of my own productions along side some fine new Jungle from established and lesser known producers."

HJ: You will be DJing at our next EMW Presents night in Carmarthen at the Parrot. I hear you will be playing your own productions?

C: Yeah thats right, I'm so glad Matt at Tangled Parrot has got his new premises, he has done a LOT for the music scene in this area and deserves props!!!

The venue is really nice too with the shop above, I have played there twice so far and look forward to playing the EMW gig, I will be playing a few of my own productions along side some fine new Jungle from established and lesser known producers.

Condition Music by Condition

HJ: What advice would you give to producers living out here in the sticks?

C: The only bits of advice I can really give is do it if you love it, if not don't waste your time!!! And network online as much as you can to get your sounds heard by the relevant people.

HJ: What other projects have you got on the go at the moment as Condition Music?

C: At the moment I have no real side projects underway, I haven't really co produced with anyone, but this may change in the future.....

HJ: How can people find you for bookings and production?

C: You can contact me using any of these:

empac@hotmail.com

AIM = condition paco

http://soundcloud.com/condition

Condition-Music Facebook Page

HJ: Which beverage floats your boat and rocks your socks?

C: It's has to be Tea at a fundamental level, but I am partial to an ice cold premium lager occasionally ;)

Big up Condition for this Q&A. Remember to tune in every Thursday from 6pm on jungletrain.net to catch his show - 'Condition's Ethereal Cereal Show.'

An interview with Lung now signed to Med School

2011-07-15T20:57:00.003+01:00

Recently signed to the excellent Med School label, James Ellaway aka Lung has been involved with the bass music scene in the capital for a good few years! Just taking a look on his Soundcloud or searching through his Facebook wall you can tell there are several years of good music making to come from this producer only just in to his 20s. Stripped back soundscapes, minimal percussive sounds and deep bass is the order of the day. Check out this short interview with Lung especially for EMW.

HJ: Welcome to EMW. Please introduce yourself to readers who may not have
heard of your work.

L: My name is James Ellaway. I'm 20 years old, born and raised in Cardiff, and I produce and DJ electronic music. Mostly drum & bass and dubstep!

HJ: How did you get involved with dance music and most importantly music production?

L: I used to be a sucker for those compilation dance music albums, yno like Ministry of Sound, etc! Those were my first listening experiences of dance music way before I was old enough to go to clubs. However I then became interested in guitar, playing in bands etc - so I used to record my band's demos in Garageband on my laptop. I guess from there on I just got more and more interested in the production side of things and started experimenting with actually making electronic music as opposed to just listening to it.

HJ: What has been your main drive to get to where you are now?

L: The sheer fact that music has always been the most prominent thing in my life. Both my parents played in bands - that's how they met. Music has always been around me from a young age and after going through school, trying my hand at different things along the way - ultimately music was the only thing I truly felt I could do (or at least had the patience to persist with!) until something came from it. As much as that is the reason, I'm genuinely terrified of the prospect of working 9-5 every day in some job I hate, just to make ends meet. I'd rather be poor financially and rich in health than have to endure a lifetime of monotony. So it's both a combination of music being the only thing I feel I can do, and the fact that doing anything else would just fry my brain. Music is, and has always been, a part of me. To have the opportunity to make a career out of it is truly a blessing and I'm forever thankful!

"I signed my track "Relapse" to the 'New Blood 011' compilation which came out earlier this year."

HJ: Now signed to Med School alongside some solid names in the D+B and Bass Music world what plans do you have for future releases?

L: Signing with Med School has been great. Completely surreal infact. I signed my track "Relapse" to the 'New Blood 011' compilation which came out earlier this year. A few months later I was asked to go visit the guys at Hospital HQ for a chat - I'll remember that day for the rest of my life! Hospital Records has always been a "go-to" for me with regards to checking out new music. It was always one of my favourite labels and home to some of my favourite artists when I first started listening to d&b, Nu:Tone has always been a big influence. The great thing about Med School is that it's run by the same team of people but with an ethos based around the more experimental edge of the genre - which is what I love to listen to, let alone try to produce! So I feel right at home there - they've made me feel at home to put it better. So currently we're in the process of planning my debut LP. I've written alot of music, but it's not quite there yet. It's important to me that I get it exactly how I want it to sound as a whole. It's coming along nicely though. Release-wise, this has been my busiest month yet. I have a 3 track EP out with my friend Maxx Roach on a label (Deadplate) run by our friend Alex (Synamatix - The Daily Street). That's another 140bpm release called "Booty Call", there's also a Randomer (http://soundcloud.com/randomer) remix and another track "Crisbuit" on the flip. A d&b tune of mine, "Bullet Train" is out on Influenza at the end of the month, a remix I did of a track called "Walk Into Water" by Karl G & Jamesie (ft. Undersound - another Cardiff producer!), and finally my remix of London Elektricity's "Yikes!" is out on Hospital on vinyl & CD format alongside remixes from S.P.Y, Enei, Logistics and more! So it's a really great month for me and I'm really happy to be getting some more music out there!

Relapse (Out Now on Med School) by Lung

DPL001 Lung & Maxx Roach - "Booty Call (Randomer Remix)" CLIPS by DEADPLATE RECORDS

Bullet Train (Forthcoming Influenza Minus) by Lung

London Elektricity - Yikes! (Lung Remix) by Lung

HJ: Would you say the large shift to online culture, whether it be KMag and other well renowned magazines moving 100% online or Facebook and other social networks changing the way a large majority of artists and promoters share their work, is a positive move for music culture?

L: Personally, I think it's hugely positive when marketing yourself as an artist and getting your music out there (although some of my friends may not agree - I'm pretty sure I commandeer 90% of their news feed with self-promotion haha!). If you think about it though, the way in which we buy music, listen to music, share music - it's all completely instant now. You have direct communication between the producers/musicians and the fans/consumers - and I think that's important. Obviously it has its negative aspects, for instance illegal downloading/file sharing. Unfortunately it's something that's hard to police. In an ideal world everyone who likes music would pay for the music, but sadly it's not always the case. I always pay for music, not just out of morality but also out of the fact that I don't want a 92kbps radio rip of a tune I really like - I want the real thing at the best possible quality I can have it - so yeah - I'm paying for it! Some people are willing to sacrifice quality if it means getting it for free, I can't do that. Music is to be listened to - I don't want to listen to shit!

HJ: What would you say is the most important piece of advice to give to someone wanting to pick up a pair of headphones and start making beats for the first time?

L: Honestly, just to make whatever they feel like making. Leave all the technicalities aside initially, it's not needed. Just get ideas down, and enjoy making music because you enjoy making music. You can worry about the technical stuff when you've got the ideas down. But having all the technical knowledge and no personality or flare in your music doesn't get you anywhere. You can't polish a turd.

HJ: Where can we catch you playing your music when not in the studio?

L: Well, I've got my debut at Fabric in London on the 22nd of this month in the Med School room alongside Joe Syntax (definite one to watch - love his style), my good friend Eleven8, Blu Mar Ten & Spectrasoul. Can't wait for that! Also at a couple of Hospitality events this year: Motion in Bristol (October), The Great Hall in Cardiff (November) - and I've also got my first gig in Denmark in September which I'm really excited for. Absolutely love playing abroad and it's always great to meet new people and discover new places!

HJ: How do promoters go about booking you for events?

L: I'm not represented by management at the moment. So the best bet is to just email me directly at: jamesellaway [at] me [dot] com

HJ: Which tasty (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) beverage does it for you?

L: Oof, tough one. Non-alcoholic: nothing beats an ice cold CocaCola (from a glass bottle though - none of this tin can nonsense!) and Alcoholic: I'd like to say something exotic here, but to be honest I know it's just going to end up being a nice pint of Stella.

"I've got my debut at Fabric in London on the 22nd of this month in the Med School room alongside Joe Syntax (definite one to watch - love his style), my good friend Eleven8, Blu Mar Ten & Spectrasoul. Can't wait for that!"

soundcloud.com/lung

twitter.com/james_lung

Vote for Deesio in Don't Panic > Street Summer: Wales Competition

2011-07-14T19:14:00.000+01:00

Creator of the EMW logo and long time friend, Deesio aka DCO (Owen Creatives) has entered the Wales section of the Don't Panic Design competition. He has also designed the last two EMW Presents flyers. Take a look at his entry below and please vote for it if you like it by simply clicking the like button after the jump - Don't Panic Street Summer Design Comp.

http://www.dontpaniconline.com/street_summer/entry/95

Electronic Music Wales Presents 29th July 2011

2011-07-13T22:30:00.001+01:00

Electronic Music Wales Presents...

Big Music From Small Nations 2011

2011-07-08T02:07:00.001+01:00

This weekend sees the return of one of Wales best small music festivals, Small Nations. Bringing together a line up hand picked from around the globe that includes a master guitarist from the Congo, Mose Fanfan, beatboxer extraordinaire MC Xander, Scratch DJ and multi instrumentalist DJ Kormac, multi instumentalist from Fife, Panda Su and many more. For me though it's all about giving local bands and artists the opportunity to stand up and perform in a festival setting, some, for the first time!

Electronic Music Wales Presents... Innamorati (Saturday Midnight)

There will be two stages, the main stage which will host the headline acts and will be in the famous barn and the brand new Oak Tree Stage which will be where you can find EMW at midnight on the saturday. We will be putting on a one off EMW Presents featuring the excellent Innamorati! It is with great pleasure that I can present this diverse group of musicians and performers at one of my local festivals. To see how far the group have come in the last couple of years is a great thing. Come along midnight on the Saturday to catch Innamorati live alongside myself and Lion MC hosting. This promises to be a big moment for all involved and definitely one of the many highlights of the festival. If you haven't already jump over to the website and book your tickets. Full weekend passes are available as well as day tickets. See you there!

EMW Presents Live Art Auction.

2011-07-02T14:53:00.003+01:00

At our first EMW Presents we had some very talented artists painting live art throughout the night. At the end of the night each artist chose a charity and we auctioned off the art to people in the crowd. 5:21 Designs piece picked up an amazing £75 which went towards Save The Children, ThirtyTwo's (Bankhouse Collective)piece was sold for £50 in aid of Bollocks To Poverty, Skinny Elephant (Bankhouse Collective) put her piece out there and sold for £55 for Kidney Wales Foundation and Tom Cons Pinc's masterpiece sold for £45 towards Breast Cancer. Below is a thank you letter from Save The Children, along with a video that is well worth watching. Take a look at some of the photos.

Dear Electronic Music Wales,

(Thank you Hidden Jewel Tattoos & Body Piercing)

Thank you so much for making a donation today. Your gift of £75.00 really will help us change the lives of the world’s poorest children.

Donations like yours mean that we can be there for children all over the world who need our help.

Please watch this film of some highlights from our 2010 work:

Once again, thank you - your kindness really will make a difference.

Yours sincerely,

Catherine Organ
Customer Service Team Leader.

Eatgood records presents Sonnyjim - The Psychonaut

2011-07-01T12:09:00.004+01:00

UK hip hop is spreading its wings. Eatgood records are hooking up with Australian label Obese records to bring forward this heavy release from Sonnyjim. Sonnyjim has been connected with Cardiff hip hop crew Associated Minds for a time working with producers such as P.L.O on 'the Heat' and featuring on the classic Mudmouth & Metabeats track 'Maaadtight' alongside Skamma MC. He's performed at the legendary Higher Learning that will be making a return to the capital tonight at the prolific CAI venue with Caskade's album launch and DJ sets from Kaptin, Jaffa and Aamer.

Taken off the forthcoming Psychonaut LP the title track 'The Psychonaut' comes with crazy synth and a knocking beat featuring production from DJ IQ, who will be known as being Professor Green's DJ in arms. In the words of Eatgood records:

"Psychonaut features Sonny' spazzin out over a synth driven drum heavy stomper produced by DJ IQ. The backdrop sets the pace off perfectly for the impending LP release."

The LP will also feature a track taken from Jehst's 'Feeding Time In The Zoo' called 'The Moon' and probably the biggest collaboration on the album with the M-Phaze produced track 'You Aint Ready' featuring Prince Po, known for his work alongside Pharoah Monche as Organized Konfusion. This is a worldwide collaboration and needs the time. Sonnyjim's flow cuts through each track and begs for head nodding. The LP is getting released July 2011 but in the meanwhile pick up the digi single through Eatgood's Bandcamp. There's a couple of remixes on there that will cater for the dubstep and drum & bass heads out there.

Peace

The Psychonaut (Digi Single) by SONNYJIM

EMW posse cut saga (episode 1)

2011-06-29T19:11:00.002+01:00

"Picture it as a big collaborative showcase that's hosted, presented and promoted by EMW"

For the first episode we are covering a hip hop posse cut/showcase. The other episodes will be specified to different genres. Our aim is to have 5 episodes/tracks for a broad quickfire esque showcase EP.

Episode 1: A 4-5 minute track that consists of 8bar sections that constantly change. The track will be 92bpm, each 8 bar section is unique and must have a different beat and mc. We will post all the progress on a private soundcloud set. Whoever is following needs to know what beat and style they are following so we will treat this project as a tight community. Feedback will be given by Billy phono, Harish jariwala and Mr digital. Feel free to drop into half or double time, or attempt to flow from the 8bars you follow.

So, producers need to pair with vocalists. If you are both a producer and vocalist, you can make beats for other vocalists or put vocals to other peoples beats. But not on your own beats. This is a collaborative effort so let's network.

The other episodes will be things like. A free for all instrumental posse cut, get to chopping each others beats ect.

An experimental folk cut.

A dub cut ect. Picture it as a big collaborative showcase that's hosted, presented and promoted by EMW.

If you find yourself reading this, welcome aboard. This is exclusive to invites only. After you make your contributions and have had the confirmation from us you will be left in the dark, to keep it fresh for all involved. And if for example you are only involved in one episode/track then you won't have access to the other episodes unless you are involved. Confused? Questions? Consult Bill, Harish or Digital.

If interested get in touch by email - electronic.music.wales@gmail.com or on Facebook like Electronic Music Wales and leave a comment.

Bless x

Cen drops by after EMW Presents for a quick interview.

2011-06-29T00:12:00.004+01:00

Just off the back of performing at EMW Presents first night at the Parrot, Carmarthen. Cen (pronounced Ken) drops by to chat about his current projects, how he has come to work with Billy Phono, Skipper The Eye Child and Sativastorm, after choosing one of his tracks off of his forthcoming EP to spit over.

Photo by Dai Eastwood

HJ: Hello and welcome to EMW. Please introduce yourself to EMW readers.

C: Hey what's happenin, my names Cen, From around Ammanford way

HJ: How did you get into Hip Hop?

C: I've been into hiphop for years but more commercial stuff at the start until early on in secondery billy phono gave me a cd with some Sage, Benefit, Buck 65 and Aesop Rock and it really grabbed my attention as to how many different styles Hip Hop has.

HJ: So a strong American influence from the offset? Were you aware of a Welsh Hip Hop scene back then?

C: Yeh really strong american influence at the start because of just how different it sounded, and all that seemed to be around at the time was garage influenced stuff which I didn't get at all, but as we got more into the underground scene in the uk we found Flea Pit and Head Case Lads which was so inspirational to us back then.

HJ: I remember catching Head Case Lads back in the Riv! Was this your first live gig?

C: Yeh man the first live gig that has been promoted and actually planned, me and Billy phono did do a gig before in the jolly tar, which was his e.p Gross blank point, it went well for the very first thing we'd ever done, we had Cenfyn play live sax for us which was amazing!

Photo by Dai Eastwood

"Yeh man the first live gig that has been promoted and actually planned, me and Billy phono did do a gig before in the jolly tar, which was his e.p Gross blank point..."

HJ: Is it true that you played off of a CD player you found in a skip that night?

C: Yeh man! Good times, thats when you know its time to start saving your pennies for kit!

HJ: So the set you performed on Friday was all original material by producers Billy Phono, Skipper The Eye Child and Sativastorm. How long have you known these guys for?

C: Ah I've known Bill for years man, since like the first year of secondary and I've known Sativastorm (gabe) for a fair few years now too, but i only just been linked with skip through Billy Phono, he makes a lot of stuff with MPC's so its a really raw old school kinda sound to his beats.

HJ: What was your overall thoughts on EMW Presents first night?

C: Well man i was so impressed by the level of everything from the sound system to the artists doing the canvases to all the acts, I think the headliners from c.diff really represented well and gave me so much inspiration to really work the crowd up and get a sick vibe going on, the venue is a lovely little intimate place with the awesome Carmarthen locals showing mad love for who ever stepped up onto the stage, couldn't have gone better really man, Sick night!

Photo by Dai Eastwood

HJ: What can we expect from future projects from yourself?

C: Well I've been working on my e.p Disgusting Situations for a while now, so thats all coming together nicely then theirs a e.p with Skippertheeyechild thats in the motions and me and Sativastorm have been talking about doing a chopped up mix tape from his Trees Are Weird beat blend.

Skippertheeyechild Featuring Cen - Shoutout to Bigmouths by Cen {Ken with a C}

Phono. Featuring Cen-Semantic response by Cen {Ken with a C}

Producer: Billy Phono Track: Finalfarewells By: Cen by Cen {Ken with a C}

HJ: Which producer would you most like to work with at this current time?

C: To be completely honest man who ever has a sick beat that just makes me want to grab the almighty Bic and start writing is who I want to work with at the time, it could be some dude from the sticks who is just an unknown bedroom producer too peeps like Mister Digital who has been doing stuff for so long with so many sick mc's so its just about what inspires me there and then.

HJ: What advice would you give to any MC wanting to start out?

C: WRITE!!! write like its your life, write everything, little silly angry paragraphs, uplifted deep verses, straight up slammin head nod hip hop, poetic inspirational stuff, just do it coz you love it, don't have any mis-lead notions about making money or anything other than self expression, i can honestly say that through the hardest part of my life after loosing my dad a few years back it was a real blessing and form of therapy to be able to explain all the mad feelings you have inside and not be ashamed that you do feel lost or scared because once you put it in a verse and your actually saying it to people you never know that person may just be going through the same or similar, and hearing someone else say it makes you feel a lot less lonely, so yeh, just put it in ya pad!

Photo by Naomi Griffiths

"WRITE!!! write like its your life, write everything, little silly angry paragraphs, uplifted deep verses, straight up slammin head nod hip hop, poetic inspirational stuff, just do it coz you love it..."

HJ: From the heart. When your not writing down rhymes or performing what do you do to relax?

C: I surf, use to be a heavy into rollerblading but got fed up of always bashing myself up, still roll when i can but work has to come first sadly, but surfing is a wicked way to see so much of the coastline that you wouldn't normally visit.

HJ: Just after pulling off your latest live set and chillin in the club. What beverage keeps you going?

C: Ah its gotta be the rocket fuel, Red bull or Relentless, with or without vodka, i don't know whether it actually makes you do stuff faster or its just your mind going at a hundred miles an hour! haha

Big shout to Tom Cen. Let's leave you with a nice story...

Backinthedays: Cen & Phono Disgusting situations Early version by Cen {Ken with a C}

Photos from Electronic Music Wales Presents by Dai Eastwood

Additional photo from spoken word night by Naomi Griffiths

An interview with DimmSummer and High Chai Recordings

2011-06-06T14:29:00.004+01:00

To carry on the series of interviews by Hari Glitch we take a look at a very exciting label making waves across the pond in New York. High Chai Recordings have just recently released the excellent Sub Continental Bass compilation released on the 5th May 2011. DimmSummer has very kindly taken the time out to talk a little about what to expect from this excellent label. Peace

"With bass music, there's always been a love affair between dubstep and Asiatic sounds with monster hits such as Chase & Status’ "Eastern Jam" & Shock-One’s "Adachigahara's Theme"... the eastern melodies and gritty bass are just a natural fit." ~DimmSummer

HG: Welcome to EMW. Please introduce yourself to those who may not know of your work.

DS: My name is dimmSummer, my crew brings low frequency freshness from all over the globe via our NYC to Bombay label High Chai Recordings. Since early 2009 every release of ours has been featured on Beatport, and we've had a few Top Tens and even a #1 on the charts. Check us out: http://j.mp/hcr_beatport

HG: High Chai Recordings are exploring the realms of bass music that's crossing borders. With influences from east and west combining, what inspired you to start on this particular sonic path?

DS:We like good music where ever it comes from.... but I've always been attracted to music that mixed things up, especially with eastern sounds... sitting in the back of my parent's Mercury Marquis (it was the size of a boat and super legit) on long road trips in the early 80s when sounds from the Beatles would run into filmi music on the 8-track - I was hooked... With bass music, there's always been a love affair between dubstep and Asiatic sounds with monster hits such as Chase & Status’ "Eastern Jam" & Shock-One’s "Adachigahara's Theme"... the eastern melodies and gritty bass are just a natural fit.

HG: Ever since soundsystem culture in Jamaica or even going way back to the bang of the drum in Africa, the lower frequencies and poly rhythms have driven people to higher states of being. Do you witness a transcendence through your music when played through big soundsystems and would you agree that it is almost a meditative state that people become when listening to low frequency music?

DS: It's definitely a balance between good clean bass and a solid rhythmical top end... you need the full spectrum of sound to make it happen. Just bass can become boring very fast (ever hear the bass rumbling from a car on the street? doesn't make much sense by itself.)

HG: The cover for your Subcontinental bass compilation has an image of a space ship flying over the city. What inspired you and your label to use such imagery?

DS: The Vimana lands! I'd always been fascinated by the appearance of ancient temples in India, some of them sporting an oddly modern appearance while scraping the sky - despite being hundreds of years old. Combine that with texts as old as 3000 years where people of the sub continent chronicle tales of gods fighting with nuclear-type weapons and flying around in great thunderous aerial vehicles several stories high, and you've got a winner.

dimmSummer presents: SUBcontinentalBASS from sankar sury on Vimeo.

"The Vimana lands! I'd always been fascinated by the appearance of ancient temples in India, some of them sporting an oddly modern appearance while scraping the sky - despite being hundreds of years old." ~DimmSummer

HG: The compilation has a strong selection of artists ranging across the bass music scene. I'm personally really excited about this release and how it's pushing ideas forward. How did you source all these artists?

DS: Many of these artists are heads that we'd known as djs and producers for years, and some are new comers to the bass music scene. Our first big comp Revolution Rising: ethnotechno.com vol. 1 featured some of the godfathers of the Brit-Asian scene like Asian Dub Foundation (remixed by Jahcoozi), State of Bengal (remixed by Sub Swara), Swami (remixed by Shiva Soundsystem), the Nasha Experience, and many more. Our follow-up to that was Nu asian soundZ that started to focus more on dubstep, and this new adventure Sub Continental Bass focuses on all kinds of bass music ranging from tropical to breaks to dubstep to electro and drumstep... I really wanted to showcase some of the evolving sounds that bass music encompasses with one.

nuphlo :: cassiopeia [sample] by highchai

state of bengal :: skip-ij (sub swara bash cadence remix) [sample] by highchai

jalebee cartel :: mirrors -b.r.e.e.d remix [ sample ] by highchai

liquid stranger :: hexed & perplexed -feat. deeyah [ sample ] by highchai

HG: There's a strong Indian vibe in a lot of these tracks. I'm familiar with Sub Swara who are also from NYC. Is there a large Asian community who are listening to this style of music?

DS: We don't play to "asian-only" crowds... at every large bass music event we've been to in NYC, be it Rusko, Nero, Chase & Status, etc there's always the ubiquitous Eastern Jam mashed up in some incarnation, but that's about it. We're aiming to change that with our upcoming EPs & remixes with FreQ Nasty, FS, Nucleya, B.R.E.E.D and many others.

HG: In terms of future plans for High Chai what can we expect?

DS: Keep a big look for some serious tunes from the one and only FreQ Nasty, plus a slew of hard hitting EPs and remixes to keep the floors burning. High Chai will also be featured on an upcoming digital album from pioneering bass community website http://theuntz.com/ in support of the super massive 20-city ID Festival http://idfestival.com/ (ULTRA).

"Keep a big look for some serious tunes from the one and only FreQ Nasty"

HG: Who else are you really excited about at the moment in the music world?

DS: ZOMBOY. His music is utterly devastating. It's filthy, it's melodic, it's dancey, it's epic. Also keep a ear open for our very own Dead Battery - he just won 2nd place in a Beatport remix contest for Martin Sloveig's "Hello"

HG: What's your beverage of choice when your going in to a deep bass meditation session?

DS: BEER. Good beer. Sometimes a single malt. No junk.
Filmi Bollygirl prefers masala chai, straight from Rajasthan.
Cenzo requires high-end tequila.

HG: Any chance of a UK tour anytime soon?

DS: Oh def, but no solid plans yet, too many things happening this side of the pond!

HG: Any shouts, links or anything you'd like to share with EMW readers?

DS: Big shout to our boy FS who's hitting the streets on tour this summer, large love to the High Chai fams: Filmi Bollygirl, Cenzo, Rahul, all the artists and fans!

Like us: facebook.com/HighChaiRecs
Follow us: twitter.com/HighChaiRecs
Hear us: soundcloud.com/HighChai
Know us: HighChaiRecordings.com

Tom X2K and ADE interview before EMW Presents...

2011-06-03T10:53:00.000+01:00

In run up to tonights show Tom X2K and ADE take time out to give us some insight in to their show. Come down to the Parrot tonight before 11pm to catch these two pulling off a live 4 deck mix.

"Luckily Ade was doing the same thing at about the same time & we spent many hours together comparing what we had learned and trying new things, it was a great time!" ~Tom X2K

HJ: Hello and welcome to EMW. Please introduce yourselfs.

X2K: Hi I'm Tom X2K, I have been DJing for about 15 years now but never really been one to stick to 1 genre or style of DJing, I like to explore all possibilities.

Ade: Hi I'm Ade, AKA Abstract Drumz. I've been DJing and making tunes since 1993. Playing jungle/drum and bass and hip hop.

I got into hip-hop in about 1995 when I heard Funkmaster Flex cutting up oldskool breaks on the radio. After that I was hooked and started to dig deeper, taking influences from people like DJ Shadow, Coldcut, Mixmaster Mike, Cash Money, Rob Swift, etc.

HJ: How long have you both been in to turntabalism?

X2K: For a couple of years after I started DJing I just concentrated on beat matching tracks, it was mostly techno and drum & bass. After a while I started to teach myself to scratch but didn't know about scratch techniques and I'd see beat juggle and stuff on some old DMC videos but had never really realised how developed it was. When I looked into it a bit more and found out there were all these scratch techniques which people had worked out then I straight away ordered a proper scratch mixer and got right into it. Luckily Ade was doing the same thing at about the same time & we spent many hours together comparing what we had learned and trying new things, it was a great time!

Ade: I've never really considered myself a turntablist. I've always been more focused on playing good tunes & putting sets together, but I do like to incorporate scratching and trick mixing into my sets.

HJ: You were one of the first crews to bring turntablism to Carmarthen town with the legendery DJ Woody gracing the decks way back when! How has the artform progressed from these early days of vinyl manipulation?

X2K: Yeah I got DJ Woody down not long after we had seen him win the Vestax World Championships, it was a nerve racking night as I knew many people wouldn't be aware of the scene and wasn't sure if people would come, luckily it was a huge success.

When we got into the turntablism side of DJing it was already pretty developed, all the techniques where already written down and defined and people like Craze had set the standard for battling and battle records were available. I suppose the next development was people cutting their own one off vinyl specifically for their routines, this allowed for more more technical & busy sets but that the same time took some of the excitement from taking a fixed piece of music and turning it into something new by only manipulating the records.

Following that there were CD decks which behaved like vinyl but it never really caught on. Then DVSs (Digital Vinyl Systems) appeared and now these are very heavily used in the scene, they make life lot easier and allow you to try many new things as well as protect you from certain technical failures and needle skips. The current evolution of the scene now seems to be bringing the extended features of the DVS systems into the routines using midi controllers.

Ade: Yeah, what he said!!

"The set should be fun and hopefully everyone will enjoy it. If you want to know more then come along." ~Tom X2K

HJ: You are both producers in your own right and neither afraid to embrace technology. You are currently using Serato. How has this changed the way you approach your set?

X2K: The new technology is great and offers an infinite number of possibilities but it can get overwhelming as there's so much options available and you can find yourself preparing for you sets sat at the computer instead of stood at the turntables. For this reason I like to keep myself limited and use a few features well rather than try and exploit everything. For me the next step will be working with The Bridge (which combines Serato & Ableton) but I need a laptop upgrade for that haha.

Ade: Serato makes things a lot more convenient for me, I don't have to carry 2 overpacked record bags everywhere I go! It makes beat juggling/trick mixing much quicker, but you still have to have the skills, there's nothing done for you, which is a good thing imo. Also for me personally, it's the only alternative to real vinyl.

HJ: What can we expect from tomorrow night's show?

X2K: After speaking to you about the type of night you wanted to put on we had a good think and decided that we're gonna do a 4hr set of gabba techno & breakcore haha.

Nah we're gonna be playing mostly hip-hop and cutting it up, our set up is 4 Technics turntables, 2 mixers, 2 laptops running Serato and 2 sets of Novation Dicers. The set should be fun and hopefully everyone will enjoy it. If you want to know more then come along.

Ade: Expect to see some beat juggling, scratching, acapella mash ups and some oldskool classics that will hopefully get the crowd jumping!

"Expect to see some beat juggling, scratching, acapella mash ups and some oldskool classics that will hopefully get the crowd jumping!" ~Ade

HJ: You're standing at the bar just after pulling off the set of a lifetime and some buff enuff, dutty peng, booty shaker comes up and offers to buy you a drink. What do you have?

X2K: "Jack & Coke for me please but just the one because I'm driving...unless going back to yours is part of the deal" ;-)

Ade:I don't drink so it would have to be an orange juice or a cup of tea! Only joking, it would have to be a pint of Stella (or 10) lol.

X2K: Haha Ade has refused every orange juice I've ever offered him during our practices.

HJ: Looking forward to the show. Any shouts?

Ade: Shouts to all my family, x2k, Jake RADAR, Optimystic, Hari J, Matt Tangled Parrot, everyone at EMW, and everyone who supports the music. Keep it Alive!!!

X2K: Shouts to Ade and all the people who have helped me along the way and people who keep the local scenes going (can't wait to see The Parrot with my own eyes). Also shouts to the all the internet scratch nerds!

Catch Tom X2K b2b ADE live 4 deck mix tonight from 11pm tonight at the Parrot, 32 King St, Carmarthen. In the meanwhile check out a couple of practice videos on YouTube. Peace

Scratch Practice video (YouTube)

Ade on the juggles (YouTube)

Q+A with Bass Clef in run up to his live performance at The Parrot 27th May 2011

2011-05-26T16:44:00.003+01:00

Tomorrow night we see the return of Bass Clef to Carmarthen town to perform his world famous live set at The Parrot. Here Hari Glitch catches up to find out what's going on and to hear about future plans. Hope you enjoy! Peace

Tangled Parrot Presents... Bass Clef plus support Facebook event

HG: Hello and welcome to EMW. Please introduce yourself to those who may not know your work.

BC: Hey, I'm Ralph Cumbers aka Bass Clef. I make and play my own music, which is bass-heavy stuff to hopefully make you dance and to mess with your mind a little bit.

I just released my third album 'Inner Space Break Free' and I'm very happy to be coming back to Carmarthen - I've always had a crazy and great time there. Looking forward to checking out the newly relocated Tangled Parrot!

HG: This is your third time performing in Carmarthen town so welcome back! What can we expect from your live set tomorrow night?

BC: Tomorrow's live set will be the usual trombone and percussion-fuelled mayhem. I have loads and loads of new tunes to play.

"The punch drunk 12" - 'Rollercoasters Of The Heart' - is still very Bass Clef, but also very dancefloor, my best 12" yet, in my opinion anyway."

HG: Sweet looking forward! So you have a forthcoming release on Peverelist's label Punch Drunk which will be dropping on 13th June. Is this going to be a different sound to your previous releases?

BC: The punch drunk 12" - 'Rollercoasters Of The Heart' - is still very Bass Clef, but also very dancefloor, my best 12" yet, in my opinion anyway. :)

HG: You also have your own label/blog Magic + Dreams How long has this been running and what made you want to start your own label?

BC: MAGIC + DREAMS was kicked off just two months ago. I wanted to do stuff myself partly to be more hands on - the casettes and cdrs we've released have all been assembled by us, by hand, it's really nice to be involved in everything from start to finish, and to have direct contact with the people actually digging your stuff!

Bass Clef 'memory scars' by magicanddreams

Bass Clef 'I think you are ready now for the eternal point of no return' by magicanddreams

I wanted to make great music and also great objects, rather than the somewhat abstract and unsatisfying experience of releasing downloads or cds via massive distributors etc...

HG: So keeping hold of those DIY asthetics that so many labels began with? How do people get hold of your cassettes and CDrs if you are not using mass distro?

BC: Mostly just directly from us via the website so far. we are starting to go through a few shops now, slowly!

HG: What or who has been the biggest influence to your most recent sonic escapades?

BC: I've been listening a lot to the KLF and Altern-8, very commercial stuff back at the beginning of the 90's for sure, but still amazing - they changed my life at 15/16, and are doing it all over again right now...

HG: A question from a friend. What made you pick up the Trombone and use it as your main instrument?

BC: Ha! Well, acttually I wanted to learn the trumpet. I was about 9 years old. But the school had run out of trumpets - so I started trombone instead.

HG: When your chilling out after a session on the Trombone. What beverage sorts you out?

BC: Leaf tea all the way at the moment (not very rock and roll is it?). A good green tea is absolutely killer.

Check out Bass Clef's You Tube

You can catch Ralph performing live tomorrow night from 01:00am at The Parrot, 32 King St, Carmarthen, Wales UK