Talk us through the intentions with the new album; you’ve spoken about it being “music to fill basements” instead of stadiums. Do you feel like dubstep has really had its moment (if not a little too long) in pop culture now?
It was never intended for pop culture in the first place, I thought it was maybe a good thing at first, but in hindsight it was probably the worst thing that could’ve happened to the genre. The reason why I say this, is because there was no control over the quality of the music that was labelled Dubstep during that period and the people that were making ‘chart Dubstep’ had no real connection to the scene. For them it was just a ‘payday’ and now they’ve jumped onto the next bandwagon and left all the true artists and labels to pick up the pieces. Don’t get me wrong I like to play festivals and big shows, but Dubstep is at its best in small clubs and basements with big sound systems.
What’s the 500 title all about?
It’s a vision and a feeling of what Dubstep used to be when it first started. 200-500 capacity clubs, we used to press 500 white labels, so I wanted something that was significant to me but that made people wonder what it might mean. On the flip to that I wanted to make an album that sounded like a soundtrack to a movie and in the process I took influences from 28 days later, 300, Sin City and films like that. It was about going back to the heart of what I do and what I know best – maybe something I should’ve been doing this whole time because that’s where I feel most comfortable, but as they say – nothing before it’s time.
I might leave listening to the album until I’ve heard it played out on a system.
I didn’t have to go & get sweaty amongst disappointed bros
because he did a mix for Garage Pressure two hours before his set @ the Laundry.
No bro…started with aggy sounds, chainsaw, tear-out, hard wobble
but made a transition to proppa with mixes of Coki wobble & Kenzo’s Rotek
and ended with half-time dnb
I thought it was a great statement of intent (hopefully)
and showed the way for healing the schism.
i think wub had a thread of old early doors 140 mixes
that or ultra might have upped
have a look and if u can’t find i can send it over, it’s not the maddest breakstep 1 i’ve ever heard and the qualities a bit shit so u get a bit more snare and hat than bass