Aural Displacement

::: Aurdisp002 - Haack ::: by Aural Displacement on Mixcloud

For the 2nd installment in the Aural Displacement interview/mix series we have none other than San Francisco’s Haack providing us with a dark (yet powerful) mix full of exclusive dubs from a number of top producers from the US & UK. Click ‘Read More’ to find out more from the man himself…

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This week I’ve witnessed the birth of two songs which have got me very excited. This first of which being my own - a dark dubstep track (influenced by the likes of Haack, Kryptic Minds etc) named Mongrel:

Now this originally began as an attempt at a remix of ArtfulMark’s CoffeeBreak tune, which he recently put up for free download and provided the stems for anyone who wished to remix. As time went on it became apparent that what I was creating was far detached from the original, and in fact from my original ‘plan’ of how I was going to remix. Now the finished product is something I’m extremely proud of, and it’s given me that little boost I needed to get my writing focused again.

The other track which has caused great excitement this week is a new track by London’s Blacksmif, entitled ‘…And The Sun Rose Out’.

If you’ve had chance to catch the mix & interview I did with Blacksmif in December then you’ll know exactly what to expect from this latest piece… Thick harmonic textures and obscure samples aplenty seem to gel together nicely in this laid-back yet quite ‘danceable’ piece. The vocals at the beginning (taken from a certain lady who last year released her debut album on Ninja Tune, believe it or not) give it quite a haunting feel at first, but as soon as the bassline drops there’s instantly that whoosh of energy that is quite prominent in Blacksmif’s productions. The guy deserves respect alone for being able to include a couple of abstract Jazz samples (check it at 3:21)!

Expect much more this year from myself, Blacksmif & Quantax, both collaboratively & individually.

Just a quick on here as I’ve been really busy with work & writing more music, but I heard this tune last night on DJ Raggs’ Flex FM Dubstep show (safe for that Raggs!) and had to get a copy. Big up to Gribzy for linking me with a copy for my next mix, this guy’s got some serious bassweight on the go… Definitely see big things for this guy in 2011.

http://soundcloud.com/gribzy/sextalk

Apologies for the lack of embedding/pictures etc but I’m on work’s network on an outdated browser.

Make sure you lock in to DJ Raggs’ show every Tuesday from 6pm - 8pm.

(Photo by Kino)

Antwerp’s bass pioneers Science (aka Dennis Nesen & Maarten Dekort) combine tight production skills with a real ear for bassweight.  These guys are surely the hottest Dubstep duo on the continent; fans of Distance, MRK1, Skream & similar bassheads will not want to sleep on this one. With releases on Untitled! & forthcoming on Stainage Records 2011 looks to be a strong year for these guys.

Unfortunately Dennis & Maarten didn’t have chance to record a mix especially for us, but here is there latest offering recorded just under a month ago, you won’t be disappointed!

I caught up with Dennis this weekend to talk about their influences, interests and more.

First of all, what sort of musical background do you guys have?

I started as a Drum & Bass DJ  around 4/5 years ago, I’m very open minded when it comes to music. I’m into all sorts of electronic music, going from the early 90’s until now and I even enjoy some Post-Rock from time to time.

Maarten started as a Techno DJ around the same period - when it comes to taste in music we have a lot in common. I know he’s a big hiphop fan, but mainly the older stuff like Mobb Deep, Nas etc.

When/where did you first experience the dubstep sound?

Probably Dour Festival 2006; A friend of mine told me about Dubstep and I decided to join him for the Dubstep night. If I remember correctly the line-up was Grimelock, Skream, Wiley and Joe Nice. I never experienced such a vibe before, and it’s still one of the sickest nights I’ve ever been too. I remember this one track called ‘Punks’ by Juju; Grimelock dropped it at the end of their set and rewound i - I think that moment convinced me.

Maarten discovered Dubstep in a small venue in Antwerp called Pier 19, that’s we’re the legendary Untitled! party’s started. I remember Rusko playing there for 50 people. Try to imagine that now!

Do you have any solo projects currently running?

I still do some Drum&Bass sets from time to time, but we don’t really have any big solo projects. I have a full time job and Maarten is still studying, so unfortunately we don’t have the time for much else.

You’ve recently put together a free mix and given away a free tune via Soundcloud, do you think giving away freebies aids in promoting your music?

Promoting our music wasn’t really the main cause for this free download. We had a lot of positive feedback about this track, and we’re very glad a lot of people like our productions, so we gave this one away for everyone who’s been supporting us. But it does help, a lot of people who are liking the track are sharing it with others, so it isn’t bad promotion at all!

You’re both currently based in Antwerp, what’s the bass music scene currently like there?

It’s a hype, but it’s definitely the more mainstream sound that is working well. Almost all the big promotors are adding Dubstep to their line-ups.

It’s also a very young crowd, the same goes for Drum & Bass.

Still, we can’t complain, a lot of promotors are pushing the deeper sounds as well, bringing variation in their line-ups. But in Antwerp you really need a big headliner to fill a big venue.

In my opinion, the average crowd on a Dubstep party in Antwerp is very close-minded. They want to hear what they want to hear. But I think that’s because the crowd is very young.

Have you experienced any of the more popular UK clubs? (Plastic People, Fabric, The Warehouse Project etc)

I joined Netsky for his release party at Eastern Village a few months ago. The day after that I went to Fabric for a Tectonic label night with Skream, Kryptic Minds, Pinch & D-Bridge… and I had a blast!

The vibe was totally different. I entered the venue early and instead of waiting at the side everybody was already dancing. I had a feeling the DJ’s could play whatever they wanted.

Are there any producers/DJs from your part of the world which you recommend for further listening?

I see a lot of potential. In Brussels you have the Stainage crew with Saviour, Grimelock, Bunzero - they are doing some great stuff with their label Stainage at the moment.

Others that come to mind: Geeks, Digid, Nasa. Also One87, a Drum & Bass DJ/producer started producing Dubstep under the name Allspark… I’m curious about his work.

Do you have a residency anywhere at the moment?

Not at the moment

Where was the most enjoyable show you’ve played so far?

There is this event called Laundry Day, I’ve been playing there for 3 times in a row. It’s one of the biggest events in Belgium once a year.

Last year they did a Dubstep stage for the first time. Together with the other dj’s and crowd, we showed the organization that we needed a bigger stage for 2011.

Also the 3th anniversary of the Untitled party in Antwerp is something that we’ll always remember. We played from 04:30am till 06:00am, and it was amazing how many people stayed until the end.

Outside of writing music/DJing what do you get up to?

Maarten is a big movie fan. He’s working really hard to make a living out of his passion. If you’re looking for some sort of camera-effect that’s used in an Italian movie made in 1924, then you really have to ask Maarten.

I’m in love with traveling. Trying to go to as many places possible, and I’m saving a lot of money to do so. If everything goes right you can find me in Rome, New York, Avoriaz and Berlin this year.

Tell us something that not many people know about yourself.

I don’t really have a good answer for this. There is a reason why nobody knows those things! ;)

Any wise words to give to producers/DJs out there looking to break through?

It’s easy, don’t look for a break trough, enjoy DJ’ing, enjoy producing, enjoy music in general. What will happen, happens. If people like your DJ sets or your productions, they will come to you.

There’s nothing wrong with making some publicity, but definitely don’t overdo it. Be patient, don’t send a track to someone, or put it online when your not 100% sure about the it.

If you play a dj set, and half of the tracks are properly mixed, people will remember the other half of the set where you didn’t mix so well - the same goes for productions.

So be patient.

Big respect to Dennis for giving his time up to talk, listeners should expect even bigger tunes from these guys in the coming year.

As another little treat here is another free tune that Science are giving away, it was being the first I’d ever heard of them, and it blew me away!

Get your ears round this minimix I’ve knocked together for the wicked Dubble Dubstep crew in Middlesbrough. I’m going to be hitting the decks with them at The Arena in Middlesbrough on Saturday 19th February, so if you’re around that area then come down to show some love for the bass.

Dubble Dubstep Minimix by Aural Displacement on Mixcloud

(Oh, and it seems Soundcloud have taken down my mixes, probably due to some copyright cleanup they’re on, so from now on all my mixes will be hosted on Mixcloud).

Jack Sparrow is pushing out some seriously nice vibes with this remix of fellow Leeds-based groovers Submotion Orchestra.

http://soundcloud.com/j-sparrow/submotion-orchestra-all-yours-jack-sparrow-remix

Anyone looking for something to do in Leeds this Saturday night you can see Submotion Orchestra playing at the Vagabondz takeover down at Leeds University, along with a bucket-load more top class acts:

It’s gonna be a big one!

I’m really proud to present the first in a series of exclusive mixes/interviews from some of the most prolific and forward thinking producers & DJs in the bass music scene today.

Kicking things off is Birmingham-based Be-1ne, founder of Area Recordings, skilled DJ and producer, keen cyclist and cat lover. Those of you who like the darker, more sinister side of dubstep will love this mix he has crafted exclusively for the Aural Displacement blog.

Area Recordings have just been shortlisted in the top 10 New Labels for 2010’s Dubstepforum awards, if you like what you hear then get voting and show some love.

See below for what Be-1ne has to say…

Where do your backgrounds lie?

I guess musically my background is all over the place, I have a really wide and varied musical taste, but if I had to pick, my background is definitely hip hop and beat-orientated, as far as production goes. As for DJing I’ve always enjoyed playing eclectic sets. Dubstep ticks a lot of boxes for me so when mixing, the tracks have lots of different elements and musical stylings that enable me to play in a specific style, but switch it up and play sets that don’t sound repetitive (if that makes sense).

What was your first experience of ‘Dubstep’? Did it instantly draw you in or was it a while before you began to like it?

I heard about Dubstep through Om Unit posting up mixes on a Scratch forum I used to go on, which was probably about 2005? I thought it was quiet boring when I first heard it, it just reminded me of beats I would practice scratching over. I thought it had potential, but have always much preferred listening to songs than beats. I tried joining DSF back in 2006/2007 but never received the account set up email!. I then started listening to loads of Glitch Mob mixes and was messing with analogue production before hearing Loefah’s 3rd choice remix, and that sucked me in as I felt the music had reached a point I could relate to. I messed with producing it in late 2007 / 2008 before taking it a bit more serious in the summer 2008. In my last year of Uni I set myself the goal of producing a sets worth of material and getting it all cut to dubplate for my dissertation project and that’s when it all started to click for me in terms of creating my own sound and trying to push my music.

How and when did you get your first release?

The first release I featured on was an album called ‘Cydonia’ by a band called ‘Orb’ back in 2001. I had my first writing credit in 2002 on a project by my friend Witchman called ‘Unknown Ghosts’. I did a few bits and bobs in between, but I would say my first release proper was ‘Revelation’ which I released on Area Recordings in April 2010 as it was an entirely self produced piece of music and I had gone through the process of taking it from my bedroom and setting up the label and releasing it.

What made you decide to start Area Recordings?

Area Recordings grew out of a few things. Firstly, I set up the label as I felt there was / is a real lack of this style of dubstep for people to buy on vinyl, and I do really believe in the quality of the music that the label is releasing. Secondly was also a continuation of the uni project which a lot of my older dubs and my introduction to cutting dubplates came from - it felt like a natural progression. And thirdly, I never really had the desire to approach another label about releasing my tunes, I felt that if I was going to release something I would like to do it myself and although it may not have the support of an established label, I was setting up something new for people to discover and giving other vinyl lovers more music to spin.

Do you have a residency anywhere at the moment?

I don’t have a club residency, but I’ve done a weekly Monday show on Sub.FM between 4-6pm GMT for the past 2.5 years. Keep an eye out as it will be moving to a later time slot 6-8pm GMT on the Monday and become bi-weekly, just sorting the finer details of the move.

Where was the most enjoyable show you’ve played so far?

Ah man, I’ve played so many cool shows over the years it’s a little tricky to pick just one. The most recent one I enjoyed a lot was at Sub Squad in Southend. It was a nice room, nice vibes and a nice sound and the reaction I got to my tunes was fantastic. Really proved to me that people love the deeper side, so big up S-Dot and Fused Forces for having me and pushing the sound.

There’s a mix on your Soundcloud page of ‘Autonomic’ style tunes, is this just a one-off or is it something that you’re moving into?

This is definitely something I dabble in, but I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m shifting. I mean I have a wide taste in music and love hearing new sounds and the autonomic stuff really ticks a lot of boxes for me as a music fan. Its great to have a mix with and produce, so as far as the mixes go I would look out for more in the future. As for releases, I don’t really know, I’ve had some really positive feedback on the stuff I sent out to a couple of people and would like to do a varied style EP for my next solo release on Area.

 2010 has flown by, and we’ve seen a lot of quality releases with artists continually raising the bar throughout every genre - if you could pick three releases from last year to take on a desert island, which three would they be and why?

2010 has seen some great music come out. My three desert island discs are easily:

No 1 - Fabriclive 50: D Bridge & Instra:mental Present Autonomic: I have totally rinsed this album this year. Probably one of the most played things I’ve bought.

No 2 – V/A – Half Light on Methodology. Krystian Forensics who runs Methodology put out some seriously high quality compilations last year. This one has some great tracks and showcased a lot of artists working in the 111 tempo, which gives some really interesting and fun results musically.

N0 3 – Lysergene – Sub Ritual / Be-1ne – Revelation 12” LOL. But seriously, I genuinely love those tunes and still very much like listening to them. Lysergene is a heavy producer and I cant wait to get more of his stuff out there, people really shouldn’t sleep on his productions. As for Revelation, sometimes I really do listen to it and can’t believe I made it.

Outside of writing music/DJing what do you get up to?

I do a lot of cycling as I pretty much refuse to pay for public transport unless necessary - it’s dirty unreliable and cycling is good exercise, along with a lot of swimming. Aside from those and spending time with my misses and the cats (Big up my cat!!) usually sorting things out for the label (Area Recordings) and listening to music. I’m getting back into watching films more regularly as well, which I really enjoy. So if anyone has any recommendations fire away!

Tell us something that not many people know about yourself?

One of my front teeth is fake.

What have you got planned for the rest of this year?

At the moment I’m currently putting together the release schedule for Area Recordings. We’ve got the Lysergene 12” out February / March time. Then a double pack in the works for May showcasing some different producers on the label, with another 12” due mid-to-late summer and a possible Be-1ne EP next Autumn.

Besides that I shall be working on a split vinyl release with Fused Forces, I’m really excited about getting in the studio with them. Along with a couple of other projects that aren’t far enough down the line to announce. Sorry.

Have you set any goals with regards to your music?

Well I’ve got a few releases waiting to come out on other labels. I have a remix of SubStep Infra Bass’ Monotonium due out on Apparition, a track on DJ Crises’ Mindstep label, looking forward to doing some more work with Forensics and Methodology as well. That’s the stuff that’s written and awaiting release.

Outside of releasing and writing I would like to start playing out a little more. I always seem to get a good response to my sets, I just think promoter’s are scared or apprehensive of booking deeper artists. I mean I’m probably not established enough to headline your night, and make you a load of dough. But I can definitely rock a dance floor with my dubs!

Monday 17th January sees the first 12” release from the fresh new Leeds label Surely Bassy. Featuring tracks from Glentron, Mepham, Isaac Martin & Ashdown, this release is set to pave the way for big things this year. Have a listen to the previews below, and be sure to put it on your ‘things to buy’ list right away.

There’s also a preview of SB002 featuring 3 tracks from Aural Displacement-favourite Quantax, who will be providing us with a few goodies over the coming months in the form of mixes and maybe even a few free tunes. Keep it locked.

::: SB002 Preview - Quantax :::

Due for release on Hotflush Recordings on 31/01/2011, this is one to look out for… The artwork itself is worth purchasing it.

Check the preview below courtesy of ST Holdings.

There’s also an ‘Official Promo’ video featuring one of the more ambient songs from the EP, you can find it here: http://vimeo.com/16857830

Super Records co-owner Raffertie takes to the 1s and 2s to deliver The Daily Street’s 9th exclusive mix. Click the picture to view the full article & tracklist.

Big up to Synamatix for linking me with this one.

Another relic, dug up thanks to the wonders of iTunes shuffle:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/8491836634069248/

This was a band I was in with one of my best friends @johnnyashmore at Uni. Of all the tunes we did this was by far the best.. Even without vocals on it!

Who doesn’t like free stuff, really?

Just when you thought you’d had enough free goodies this Christmas, man like Aems has whipped up this absolutely killer mix for your aural enjoyment with a massive 45 tracks in just over an hour. Expect a hectic journey through bass music with the help of big hitters like Rod Azlan, Zed Bias, Kode 9 & the one and only Brian Badonde. As he puts it ‘A CD-Length mash-up of genres, from dubstep to funky, breaks to dnb… a little something for everyone… :) Happy New Year!’.

I’m only 15 minutes into it as I type this and I can already see this being rinsed over New Years by whoever’s lucky enough to get hold of it.

Aems - Bass Mix December 2010 by Aems on Mixcloud

For more AEMS please visit:
Http://soundcloud.com/aems
Http://twitter.com/aems1

From Leicester badman Rob Sparx:

http://official.fm/track/188740

If you’ve had the pleasure of hearing Rob’s last two mixes then you’ll know exactly what to expect; bassweight & seemless mixing all the way through.

(Apologies for not embedding it - seems that Official.FM embed code doesn’t like Tumblr).

Thanks to the guys at Big Up Magazine for making me aware of this one, would be kicking myself if I’d missed it.