Amidst this incredible lineup, we’re excited to sit down with IMANU—an artist whose unique fusion of Drum & Bass, experimental beats, and electronic soundscapes has made him one of the most innovative names today. Known for pushing boundaries, IMANU is gearing up to deliver an unforgettable performance at Boundary Brighton. Ahead of his set, we catch up with him to talk about his musical evolution and what he’s got in store for the festival and dig a little deeper into the life and times of one of the scene’s most intriguing talents.

What’s the story behind your stage name, IMANU?

It comes from my middle name, Immanuel! I wanted it to sound and feel more personal than a moniker.

You used to release music under the name Signal. How has your musical journey evolved since transitioning to IMANU, and what inspired the shift in your artistic direction and sound?

I feel like I’ve let go of many boundaries, and found a sound more true to myself. I was inspired by many artists who just do not seem to care about what genre or sound they’re perceived as because everything they make is them. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by IMANU (@imanunami)

How do you balance maintaining your signature sound while pushing boundaries in electronic music?

Pushing boundaries is my signature sound.

You’re performing at Boundary Brighton Festival this weekend. What can fans expect from your set?

As it’s a B2B with The Caracal Project, a lot of our music, collaborations we’ve done, and a bit of fun stuff! Our B2B sets are usually a bit less serious than our solo performances.

You’ve produced a lot of music with The Caracal Project and played shows together in recent years. Tell us a bit about your relationship.

Someone I met through the internet, like honestly most of my current friends! Good friendship leads to good studio sessions, and thus we created good music.

Your productions cover many different genres. One of the genres you’re best known for is DnB. How do you see the Drum and Bass scene evolving, and where do you fit into that landscape?

I don’t really feel like I fit in the scene as it is right now, but I’m very okay with that. 

What’s the most challenging aspect of producing electronic music for you?

I’m not very good at mixing vocals, so I just have someone else do that for me instead  

How do you stay inspired and avoid creative burnout?

I listen to a ton of varied music, and watch videos on music theory very often. Experimenting with the things I’m taught in the realms of the stuff I listen to often leads to me coming up with ideas to use in my own. 

What advice would you give aspiring producers looking to make their mark in the electronic music scene?

Be different.

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or releases you’re excited about?

I’ve got a big string of music coming out soon! Very excited for it  

You can catch IMANU at Boundary Brighton Festival this weekend alongside a heavyweight lineup of dance music’s finest names. For set times and more info, follow Boundary Brighton on social media or visit https://www.boundarybrighton.com

The post Getting To Know: IMANU appeared first on Data Transmission.

Stephani B’s journey has been nothing short of impressive. Her debut solo single, ‘From Paris To Berlin,’ gained massive traction with support from BBC Radio 1 and DJs like Don Diablo and Oliver Heldens. Known for her dynamic live performances that blend DJing, live drumming, and sampling, Stephani has already mesmerized audiences at iconic venues such as Ministry of Sound and Egg London. She’s set to light up stages at Tomorrowland, Victorious Festival, and Manchester Pride this summer.

As a LIPA graduate and ambassador for Roland’s SPD-SX Pro Sampling Pad, Stephani B’s musical prowess is undeniable. Her performance videos have captivated nearly a million followers on Instagram and TikTok. Her debut single ‘Sober (La Da Dee)’ with Movada, featured on Love Island UK, further solidified her presence in the music industry. With her recent signings and collaborations, Stephani B is poised for an explosive ascent in the music world.

Join us as we dive into the mind of this talented DJ, drummer, and producer, exploring her inspirations, creative process, and what’s next on her musical journey.

Hey Stephani B, welcome to DT. Can you introduce yourself to anyone who doesn’t know you? 

Hey, thanks for having me! I am a DJ Drummer & Producer. Currently travelling around the UK and overseas for gigs and festivals during these summer months! Also, a bit of a social media guru and have built my socials up through music content. 

Where are you based currently? 

I am based in Manchester.

What inspired you to get into music? 

I was inspired from a young age to get into music. I remember having guitar & piano lessons from the early age of 8 and just continued to play many instruments from then. High school was when I really got into it and started playing the drums. I wasn’t very ‘academic’, so to speak, and my dad really championed me in learning the drums and going through all my music grades. I was always really inspired to follow my dream, and I am still today. It makes it easy when you’re so passionate about everything music.

Your new single ‘Rhythm Is A Mystery’ has recently come out on Perfect Havoc. How did you land on re-working this rave classic?

I really loved the original of this record from K-Klass, especially the drum arrangement. I wanted to do a more upbeat version for my sets and to give a fresh take on a great classic! 

Who are your biggest musical influences? 

I think the first acts I saw live were disclosure and how they integrated the live element into their live shows. I remember watching them at Parklife festival when I was just old enough to go, and I was so inspired by their show. I have always been inspired by those bringing something unique to the music industry, and the likes of Sheila E and Jack Garrett were also massive inspirations that helped shape what I do today. I also loved Avicii and how he had such a unique style in the EDM world, one that continues to last today and one that will last forever; he was such an inspiring producer and has helped shape my music creations. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stephani B (@stephanibmusic)

How would you best describe your sound? 

I would best describe my sound as dance with tech house influences with flavours of the old school rave in the electronic dance realm. I like to push the boundaries within the dance genres as I am inspired by so much music. 

What does a typical day in Stephani B’s life look like? 

I usually try and start my day with a coffee wherever I am and when I am at home and not on the road gigging, I usually spend most of my time in my home studio. I have my DJ decks, laptop, and drums all in there, so I do lots of practice, production and songwriting throughout the day. I also film a lot of content for social media in there and create different edits, mashups and remixes to post for fans online. 

What is your best advice to anyone starting out in the industry as a producer? 

I think the best advice is to keep creating music. I know that’s probably a given, but to actually put your music out. If you’re struggling to find a label home for your music, release it through your own name and share your works. I think it’s always a good idea to post content online as well; social media these days can have such an impact, which is definitely worth seeing how your productions go down. Collaborating with other producers is also a great way to develop your production skills and get early tips on developing. 

What are your hobbies outside of music and production? 

I actually don’t have many other hobbies outside of music as it’s hard to find the time although, I do play other instruments like guitar for a hobby though and also like going on runs with the dog. 

Are you working on any new material? 

Yes I am, all the time! Got lots of originals in the pipeline as well as the odd remake that might get an official release. There are a couple of collabs I’ve got coming next so I’m really excited to continue to get my music out. 

What can we expect from you in the next year?

You can expect more releases, some on other labels, and lots of festivals and events, possibly some more overseas next year! 

What’s been the highlight of your career so far? 

I’ve actually had a lot of highlights of my career so far, but performing at Tomorrowland in Belgium on the Freedom stage this summer has to be the highlight! It’s been an ultimate goal of mine for years to eventually get the chance to perform there, so it was a complete dream come true! 

Follow Stephani B
https://www.instagram.com/stephanibmusic
https://www.facebook.com/StephaniBmusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZLryIPfE_8ow27mc13zizw
https://www.tiktok.com/@stephanibmusic
https://twitter.com/StephaniBmusic

The post Getting To Know: Stephani B appeared first on Data Transmission.

Following the well-received first part of his ‘For The Music’ EP, London’s George Smeddles marks his second release of 2024, returning with the second and final part of the release on his South Records imprint, delivering a generous serving of upfront House music flavours in the process. 

We’re delighted to welcome George to Data Transmission for an all-encompassing chat about music, his career, the label and much more. Let’s dive in. 

Hey George, thanks for joining us. You’ve been in the US over the last couple of weeks; what did you do on your trip?

Hey guys, Yes, it was such a great tour; what didn’t I do?

All seven gigs were amazing, met up with friends, met lots of new ones, loads of good food, I actually did the whole tour sober so I was up in the mornings doing lots of stuff too which was new for me.. was invited to my first basketball game in San Fransisco (Warriors are now my team) haha

And plenty more. So all-round, a Great trip!

You’re about to release the second and final part of your ‘For The Music’ EP. What can you tell us about that?

Yes, it was a really fun release to make, and it’s been just as fun to put out and watch everyone else playing all the tracks!

Why did you decide to split the release into two parts?

I feel the market is extremely saturated right now, and I have lots of big singles I’m putting out this year. So this was an EP for the underground househeads & I felt six was too much to put out at once. Splitting it over two weeks gives each release time to breathe a bit.

What are your favourite tracks from the overall EP?

Hooky really gets the room fired up & I’ve been able to play it in any set. It’s one of the oldest on the EP, other than Phone the Sax; I think that one is about four years old!

Something Funky has been a big one in my sets; I originally sang the vocal myself just as a reference as it came to mind when I was putting the track together, but after trying some different styles, my vocal seemed to work the best, even though I couldn’t stand hearing it at the start. When I saw it getting played by the likes of Chez Damier & Joseph Capriati, I thought maybe it was ok to put it out as it is!

What have you got lined up for South Records over the rest of 2024?

We have some mega releases lined up! I have EPs & Remixes from Chez Damier, Jansons, Rooleh, Ruze, Ed Nine, Duncan Thomas, & lots of original records by myself to come out too!

What artists are you really into at the minute?

There are a lot of artists I’m feeling right now; luckily, most of them are coming on South in some way, so you will see everyone whose sounds I’m digging will be featured on the label & showcases we are about to start – feeling very blessed to be able to be working with so many talented people right now!

How do you disconnect from music and take downtime?

This year, there isn’t much downtime. The last few years I had downtime between studio & DJing, But for me this year is about taking things to the next level, I have the best music I’ve ever had under my belt & now is the time to release it all!

Lastly, what can we expect from you over the coming months?

So, you can expect lots of original music and a lot of music coming on South, too. I will also be launching my new alias, ‘Late Nite City.’ That project is three years in the making, so I’m super excited for everyone to hear what we’ve been doing!

George Smeddles’ ‘For The Music Pt. 2’ is available to download/stream here via South Records. George joins us on the Data Transmission stage at Hidden Festival on Saturday 29th June alongside Alisha, Detlef, Josh Butler, Late Replies, Loz Seka, Samuel Morgan, MiddleGround, Cizzla, Crib & Kez and our Data Transmission Remix Competition Winner CHANNE for all the information check out the Hidden Festival announcement and Get Tickets From Skiddle!

The post George Smeddles Talks South Records, His Latest EP, Future Plans & More appeared first on Data Transmission.

This isn’t just your typical dance floor anthem; ‘I Want You’ is a blend of artistic expression and collaborative synergy. This compositional masterpiece goes beyond genre boundaries, inviting listeners on a journey, combining Magnetude’s classical roots and Burr Oak’s technical prowess.

Marking a significantly large release in the ever-expanding Evolution Chamber release catalogue, we’re delighted to welcome James and Rustam of Magnetude and Burr Oak’s Julien and Niko as we dive into their respective worlds in this all-encompassing b2b interview: 

Hey guys, thanks for joining us. Can you start by telling us about how you got to know each other and your relationship?

Niko: Julien and I have known each other for around 12 years now, and to be honest, it’s nonsensical to be friends with this man. The relationship between us it’s totally broken, and we’re only in Burr Oak for the money… Only joking. To be honest we’re like brothers, so everything is really easy between us. Both our personal and professional relationship is just perfect. 

Rustam: Me and James have known each other for 14 years. We met on the Russian website vKontakte. He was the first person who I spoke to when I finally got the internet in my village. With me being from Russia and James from the UK, it was almost impossible for us to meet in person. And it took 7-8 years for us to finally meet in person!

James: Yeah, our friendship is like a movie! We started our Magnetude project in 2016. Being really close friends, and having a synergy, it just felt right and we haven’t looked back since. Our friendship comes first, our project second. Rustam to me, is my brother, my best friend. We’ve been through so much together, and I am very grateful that we crossed paths on our life journey.

Julien: About how we all managed to meet and connect, I have spoken with James since around 2010, but we met for the first time in person in Switzerland in 2017. I also had the pleasure to meet Rustam in 2017 in Moscow.

Niko: I met James during a Virus night in London 4 years ago, just before the Covid lockdowns. It was one of our first shows as Burr Oak. It was really cool. Unfortunately, I have yet to meet Rustam, but with the way the world works, I am sure that it will be some time in the future, no doubt.

You’ve just dropped your first collaboration. What can you tell us about that?

Rustam: It’s something that we had seen a lot of people speaking about as their dream collaboration, and with us all being friends, and both being into each others music, it made sense that we did something together.

Julien: I think we began this collaboration around 2 years ago now, so we’re all really excited to finally release it. It was a long journey, but it was well worth it . 

Did you face any logistical or other challenges when working on ‘I Want You’?

Niko: Not really. I think the main factor why it took us some time to finish the track was the geographical locations between us and Rustam and James. Plus, we were deep in focus on our album when we started the collaboration. So yeah, time and distance were maybe the only difficult things we faced. 

James: Yeah, with all of us working on separate things, both me and Rustam also relocating to different countries and also our work on a video game OST, on top of what Niko mentioned too, the logistics of manoeuvring our time to work the track was probably the only challenging factor, but we got there in the end.

What is the one standout element in the track for you?

Julien: Me and Niko personally don’t feel that any part of the track stands out in its entirety. We wanted to narrate a story with the guys that was like a cosmic euphoric journey through space and time, and we feel we nailed every part.

Rustam: Me and James feel that if you favour any part of the track over another, then the track is not finished. Presenting a track to the world is like dressing for a big first meeting. Everything needs to be presented in a way that makes a good first impression.

There’s a lot of commercial focus on Drum & Bass right now. Do you think that has helped or hindered the scene?

Julien: It varies depending on one’s perspective. For my part, coming from an alternative scene, I never thought that a super democratisation of a musical style would help it creatively. But on the other hand, it pushes it into people’s ears and helps the scene grow for parties and festivals. I believe it’s the equilibrium between alternative and mainstream elements in Drum and Bass that sustains its resilience and authenticity over time.

Niko: Yeah, I agree. As the scene continues to expand year by year, I see it as a positive development for everyone involved. However, echoing Julien’s sentiment, my hope is that amidst this growth, the scene maintains its strength and authenticity.

James: Both me and Rustam echo Julien and Nikos view and we think the increased commercial focus on drum and bass has definitely helped to raise the profile of the genre and introduce it to a wider audience. At the same time, though, we believe that it’s important to maintain a balance and not lose sight of the underground roots that make drum and bass special.

Rustam: Yeah, it’s great to see drum and bass getting more recognition in the mainstream, but it’s important to remember the underground culture that birthed the genre and continue to support artists and labels that are pushing the boundaries and keeping the scene alive.

Neurofunk and Heavy Drum & Bass almost feel like a separate world compared to the more commercially focused stuff. Do you think it will ever be as big, and how do you see the sound developing going forward?

Julien: I don’t believe Neurofunk needs widespread popularity to thrive on its own merits. Across Europe, the scene remains vibrant and dynamic and is very much alive. Of course it’s not comparable with Techno or Urban music etc. But does it really need it?

Niko: Almost every weekend we’re travelling across Europe and playing Neurofunk at packed venues with a whole load of different artists, so I think it works well and I hope it continues.

James: I totally agree with Julien and Niko. I love that our niche is on the “underground” side of the spectrum. I feel that our pocket of DNB has one of the most die hard and supportive and nicest army of followers. It feels like our own mini community. Artists and ravers alike, we all feel connected to one another and it’s awesome.

Rustam: In Russia, Neurofunk is the main Drum & Bass sound. There are events with mainstream headliners from Europe, such as Pirate Station and World of Drum & Bass, but the majority of the lineup is Neurofunk. The main Drum & Bass Podcast and Label in Russia is Neuropunk, which is a Neurofunk label, and around 95% of Russian Drum & Bass producers are Neurofunk producers. It really depends on where you view mainstream. In the UK from what James tells me, Neurofunk is not mainstream and very underground, but if you go outside of the UK, the Neuro scene is very much alive and kicking.

What other artists and labels are standing out for you at the minute?

Julien & Niko: Broma (SKS & Tryst Temps), Redpill, Screamarts, Eluun…

Rustam: In terms of labels – Hoofbeats, Hanzom Music. Artists on the other hand, there are so many – A.Way, Tantron, Finalfix, Omneum and of course, Ekwols.

James: We’re also really feeling Skrimor, Hrspx, TNTKLZ and the collaborations of Volatile Cycle, Dropset & Konquest. There’s a ton of talent coming through, and we’re here for it!

Do you have any plans to collaborate further on future releases?

Julien: We don’t have anything planned at the moment, but we’d love to work with Magnetude again.

Rustam: As mentioned before, we are friends and have a mutual and shared respect for each other’s music, so we’d love to do more music with the guys in the future.

Niko: We all have a lot of things going on, but we’d never write off working together again when we have a more clear schedule.

James: It’s been such an awesome experience to share minds, and we’d definitely love to do more work together.

What can fans expect from Magnetude and Burr Oak over the rest of 2024 and beyond?

Julien: We have a lot of original tracks and remixes incoming this year. Our next track will be on Eatbrain next month, and we’re already working on several new EPs and the following chapter of our album. 

Niko: We also both have a lot of solo stuff coming too. I have some new EPs in the works under my solo project Opsen, Julien also has an LP and some remixes coming under his solo alias. And we also have something coming out on Blackout under our alias Forum with SKS.

Rustam: We, too, have a lot of music that we’re currently finalising, including our next release, ‘Still There’, which is finally ‘There’. We have some collaborations in the works with Ekwols and Task Horizon, plus some other solo bits we’re working on.

James: I also spent 2 months in Georgia with Rustam at the start of the year and we knuckled down on a ton of new and very promising ideas too. We’re also working on several multi genre Video Game soundtracks, which will be released through Evolution Chamber in the future, and have a mountain of shows starting in April.

Rustam: I’m also looking forward to finally getting back to playing shows in Europe again this year. It’s been a long process, but we’re getting there.

Lastly, pick your favourite closing track to end this b2b interview.

Julien & Niko: “The Tide” from Noisia could be a great ending.

Rustam: For me, it’s Joe Ford – “Where Is The Sun”. It’s my alarm, the ringtone when my love calls me and just such a great tune.

James: It would have to be a track taken from the first ever Drum & Bass vinyl I bought when I was 15 years old – Mampi Swift – “Feedback”.

Magnetude x Burr Oak ‘I Want You’ is out now and available to download/stream via Evolution Chamber here. 

The post Interview: Diving into Heavy Drum & Bass via ‘I Want You’ with Magnetude and Burr Oak appeared first on Data Transmission.

After the triumphant return of their Halloween ‘Scarefest’ in October, Shabba, Shotta, and DJ Phantasy are currently back in XOYO London’s renowned Cowper Street basement alongside a meticulously curated lineup of both established and up-and-coming artists, including TNA, Basslayerz, MTM (Eksman & J Mulla), Team Drumz Showcase, Brockie, IC3, Nicky Blackmarket, Northbase, Ragga Twins, and numerous others. For more info and tickets for the rest of their XOYO residency, click here.

Halfway through their already largely successful XOYO London residency, we caught up with SASASAS for an in-depth discussion about the evolution of one of dance music’s most celebrated legacy genres – Drum & Bass.

How would you describe the early days of Drum & Bass and Jungle music, and what key influences led to the genre’s creation?

Shabba D: Key moments in drum and bass jungle. Back in the day, Jungle music. I think pirate radio had so much to play in the culture of our music. Also, fashion. People used to really make an effort and dress up to go out, and pirate radio had so many different people and brought a lot of people together. When I got into Raving around the early 90s, It was something fresh; it was something new; seeing so many multicultural people coming together as one and having a good time was an amazing experience. Also, to see what it has grown into in 2024. It has become a monster and a massive worldwide scene.

Many people will be looking forward to some nostalgia during your XOYO residency. Do you plan to integrate much historical stuff during the shows, and how do you know when/how to do it if you do?

Shabba D: I think for SASASAS, we always do things organically, and yes, for our 10-year anniversary, we have come up with plans to bring the best moments of our 10-year span and take them through a musical journey. To experience some of the greatest moments. I think we’ve all of our experience. We have the knowledge between us to come up with the right concoction at the right times. Big love!

What pivotal moments or events in the evolution of Drum & Bass stand out for you, and how did they contribute to its growth and development?

Shabba D: For me, a standout moment for drum and bass as an MC would have to be MC convention. We kept the MC alive when things were looking pretty bleak. We put the MC up with the DJs and built a fan base around tape packs. CD Packs and also vocals on vinyl. This would have to be one of the greatest moments for me and drum and bass. This really did put MC on the map. I feel privileged to have been a part of it.

In terms of production techniques, how have technological advancements influenced sound and production over the years?

Harry Shotta: Yeah, man, in terms of production techniques and how they’ve changed and influenced the sound over the years, you’ve only got to play old Jungle Records, and of course, they’ve got them nostalgic sounds and feeling and their great records and but when you hear the new versions of those Jungle songs you can hear the advancement in the sound you know there’s more plug-ins now people have a lot more access to more equipment you know back in the day you have to have a lot of hardware. I know some of the producers still love the hardware now, but for youngers getting into the game, they got access and easy access to loads of useful tools. So yeah, I think the production is definitely advanced, and I think it’s benefited the music in general.

How has the role of DJs and MCs in Drum & Bass and Jungle evolved, and how have they impacted the overall culture of the genre?

Harry Shotta: Yeah, I think the role of the MC in Jungle Drum and Bass has definitely changed. I think these days, you’ve got MCs who consider themselves artists, so they’re making songs and putting records out on Spotify, as in your Apple Music. They’re getting big streams, you know, even for myself, I’ll go to Rave, and people sometimes say to me, can I hear your tune tonight? I think some of the older heads view the MC as only there to compliment the music when I have always said it’s a 50-50 partnership between the DJ and the MC to create the best set for the Crowd. This is another reason we’ve created Mike Masters as a platform to showcase MCs in their best light, as MCs and vocalists, in general, are a very important part of DNB. 

There’s been some some attempts. I think to kind of put that to the side, but I think that has failed because as you see now the biggest DJs in the world especially in our scene, do have an MC . So yeah I think MCs and vocalists play a crucial role in the scene, and I think this side of Drum and Bass is only going to get bigger.

What has been your biggest career highlight as a group?

Harry Shotta: Yeah, to say one highlight for the group, SASASAS, would be extremely hard, man. We’ve done some amazing things as a group, you know, from going to South Korea or when we did Rampage for the first time to flying in a helicopter to Leeds festival. There were some incredible epic moments, man, and we flew the flag at that point for drum and bass and especially vocal DNB all around the world. It was an absolute pleasure. So highlights and obviously rolling with Skibadee and Stormin RIP and just the fun we’ve had as a group and the vibe we brought to the scene and the energy we brought to the scene, you know, it is pretty big, man. So there’s not just one highlight; there’s way too many to mention…..

Commercial interest in Drum & Bass and Jungle sounds has recently become resurgent. What factors contribute to this renewed appreciation, and which artists do you think have been responsible for helping to bring it back to the fore again?

DJ Phantasy: I think it’s great to have a commercial interest in drum and bass because it’s a scene that has been running in underground clubs for many years and has been massively successful.

One of the main things about our scene is its ability to keep growing and changing and welcoming new artists and ravers and, of course, new styles and subgenres. This can only be good for the scene and for the listeners and supporters of our scene.

 I love all forms of drum and bass, but even though publicly some people may turn their nose up at jump up, if they want a real crowd reaction, that reaction with energy and passion, then they will draw for jump up, and I love it – haha!

Lastly, please tell us who you’re most excited about joining you on the rest of your XOYO residency and what you’ve got coming up for the rest of 2024.

DJ Phantasy: We are excited about everybody who is playing at the show for us across the whole month. Each artist brings their own unique style, and we love them for the different vibes that they will bring.

Most importantly, they are all really great people who just happened to be amazing artists, so this is a win-win for us and also for the people who come and party with us. We look forward to seeing you there!

SASASAS’s XOYO Residency concludes on Friday, 29nd March, with TNA (Nu Elementz, Azza, Grima), Captain Bass, IC3, Y-Zer and many more. 

The post Pioneering DJ/MC Trio SASASAS on the Evolution of Drum & Bass and Jungle appeared first on Data Transmission.

Steered by longstanding DJ/Producer Lexicon Avenue and more recently label co-owner Fordal, Forensic Records continues to advocate for that authentic Prog sound, as championed on the label’s latest release from Fordal himself, along with sought-after Spanish talent, Luis Damora. Download/stream it here: https://album.link/FOR2027. 

Fresh from the release of ‘Alleviate,’ we caught up with Forensic co-owner and fast-rising Progressive prospect Fordal for an in-depth chat about the genre, the label, the artist and much more. 

Hey Fordal, thanks for joining us. Can you share some insights into the creative process behind your ‘Alleviate’ EP?

Well, it all flowed from the vocal. I wrote a chord progression that I felt reflected the mood I wanted from the instrumental and then set about conceptualising the sounds I wanted. I went for dark and aggressive synth sounds juxtaposed with mellow drums and low end. Once the key decisions were made, it all just came together perfectly.

As a co-owner of Forensic Records, how do you balance your responsibilities as a label executive with your role as an artist? How does being on both sides of the industry influence your approach to music?

I try to keep them as separate as possible. Being the artist is when I’m in a creative mood; being the label boss is when deadlines are approaching and we need to make some big decisions!

‘Alleviate’ seems like a meaningful title for an EP. Could you elaborate on the title’s significance and how it ties into the overall concept of the music?

I really felt the mood of the track captured me into a trance, so I went with Alleviate as it alleviated me from all my daily stresses.

Madrid’s Luis Damora also delivers a remix of ‘Alleviate’. How did the collaboration with Luis come about, and what unique elements do you think he brought to the remix?

Forensic has long been a long-time admirer of Luis Damora, and we were thrilled to have him released with us a few months ago. We thought his percussive progressive style would be a great alternative to the warmth of the original. I think he absolutely killed it!

With the rise of Melodic House & Techno, a lot less authentic Progressive House is being made. Why do you think that is, and what can be done to make the genre as popular as it was in the past?

I think it is just having its heyday like Progressive House did all those moons ago. I think it’s very natural that some progressive artists like to have one foot in each pond… If that’s an actual saying, lol.

Forensic Records has a reputation for supporting innovative and forward-thinking electronic music. How does the label contribute to the genre’s evolution?

Forensic Records has been going for twenty-five years now, and our mantra is as true today as it was back when we started: we just seek out the best music we can, plain and simple! We started out as a deep house imprint; we have evolved into a more progressive house sound over the years. Any contribution to the genre’s evolution, I guess, is just a consequence of whatever we’re feeling at the time.

What do you believe sets Forensic Records apart from other labels? How do you see the label’s role in shaping the future of Progressive House?

I think we really hunt out the artists we absolutely love, even if they don’t yet have much of a profile. We really support and believe in them, and they help us remain current and forward-thinking.

What are your goals and aspirations for the future of Forensic Records and your music career? Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or collaborations?

The goal for Forensic is to continue doing what we’re doing in the progressive scene; we have some incredible Eps ready to drop in the next few months. But we’re both very excited about a new label we’re starting, the name of which I can’t reveal, but its aim is to be more experimental, encompassing new sounds and movements which we love but think would be out of the scope of the flagship label.

As for me, I’m just going to continue doing what I love doing- making music! I have so many new tracks ready to go and lots of pots on the stove. Hopefully, you’ll be hearing them very soon.

Fordal’s ‘Alleviate’ (incl. Luis Damora Remix) is available to download/stream via Forensic Records here.

Fordal

Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Soundcloud

Forensic Records

Facebook – Instagram – Soundcloud

The post Exploring the Resurgence of Real Progressive House With Forensic Records Co-owner Fordal appeared first on Data Transmission.

Now based in LA, The one-time Shamen frontman has embarked on a rich vein of form of late with new podcast platform, Superfreq releases, live streams and more. He’s been outspoken around BIG topics such as rape within the scene.

He started MCing in London clubs aged 16 & soon earned a reputation as a fast-talking vivacious rapper working with LWR radio’s Ron Tom, Jasper the Vinyl Junkie & Jazzy M. Mr.C then hooked up with Colin Faver & Evil Eddie Richards to became resident rapper at the legendary Camden Palace in London, going on to MC for Colin Faver on the then illegal pirate radio station Kiss FM. Mr.C went into the studio to record his 1st house track with Eddie Richards as Myster-E which was released in August 1987.

I was very lucky to chat to Mr.C about music, labels, streaming, demos and promoting. He also gave me his 5 things producers need to know and we also chatted about the death of Erick Morillo, rape prevention and the scene as a whole.

EPIZODE⁵: EPILOGUE celebrates it’s 5th Anniversary and have revealed the second round of lineup, including Jamie Jones, [A:RPIA:R], Apollonia, Nastia, Sonja Moonear, Archie Hamilton and MR.C + many more. More info about the Festival here.

You can listen below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and more via Anchor.

The post Mr.C chats Music, Producer tips, Live Streaming on the BOOST Podcast appeared first on Data Transmission.

Following his stellar release on Dispatch Dubplate, we had a lengthy chat with the man DLR himself. We covered all sorts of interesting topics including the backstory behind the name DLR, funny festival stories and some absolute gold advice for producers – definitely worth reading to the end! Check it out below:

So I’d like to start off by asking about your musical background, how you got into music, did you have a musical upbringing?

Cool so yeah in regards to my musical upbringing, I have a lot of friends where I’m like “oh shit where did you get that sample from?”, and they’ll be like “oh my parents had these records when I was young” – and I never really had that in regards to my parents being big soul/funk or reggae, or whatever, fans at all. My Dad was more into like Dire Straits and Pink Floyd, which was really cool. But at the time it didn’t seem to resonate massively with me. He had a real passion for music, he used to take me to the church choir where he used to go singing.

My Mum and Dad have always been really supportive and always pushing me for new opportunities. Me and my brothers always had these opportunities to learn instruments. They were really patient with me, every few years I’d always want to move on, cos they’d never tick the box in regards to fulfilling me. Plus I’m that sort of person, when I was young I always struggled to settle down. 

I learned a shit load of instruments over that time. Michael, one of my brothers picked up on those opportunities and became a great instrumentalist and music collector – Future Sound of London, Roni Size, just stuff like really good dance music at the time. He also had a really early version of Logic as well, with a sort of MIDI set up, he was really obsessed with it. I always remember at the time being really intrigued by what he did and really intrigued by his music selection. Although again at that age it didn’t particularly resonate with me. 

So yeah, by the time I was 15/16, I had the urge to try something. So I got something like Dance EJAY and just rinsed out some beats on there. It’s so old school now. You could basically just bang loops together, which was a really cool way to learn. 

I’d suggest anyone who wants to trial the idea of making tunes, you don’t need to jump right into the deep end, you can paddle a bit by playing with these loops and banging them together, just feeling what it’s like to do that. Then after that, you can decide whether to get seriously deep. 

After EJAY, I just thought okay I’m really vibing on this making some beats, and I was like “Mum, Dad, I want a computer”, and they were like “ok that’s cool but if you want something you’ve got to go and get it yourself”. So basically they encouraged me to get a job, starting to try and save up some money. I never learned to drive or anything, I spent all that money on Vinyl and decks. Then I got my computer as well. So they kind of came in time of each other. I hadn’t thought about what I was gonna DJ, make or anything – I just started making really random beats. 

Strangely, one of the first things I made with my mate, Matt Bird, was the tune called Dirty Leroy, I don’t know why – he just had some stupid lyrics when he was mashed or something ha. I wish I could play this tune, it’d be hilarious, this started my career! I mean, that’s why I’m called DLR aka Dirty Le Roi. 

Ahhh, so that’s the backstory behind the name DLR!

Haha yeah, it’s really weird man! 

It was a really steady progression, and even by that point I’m only 16, and now I’m 33. So that was another ten years of just fucking around and wasting time really, just sort of feeling the waters, just trying to figure out what was going on.

If you were 18 and came into the scene now, say came to Collective, our night, and immerse yourself in the scene you’d immediately be involved. I didn’t have any of that until I went to university and became part of this crew called Central Beatz with these guys when I was 20. Ruckspin who is the engineer and producer in Submotion Orchestra and some other guys including LD50 who started the night/event, they were all really good at what they did – and I was just like ahh okay, I’m actually really shit – so I just kept on pushing and pushing.

Then I got to this point where I was actually just quite pissed off with it all, to be honest with you, so I just gave it all up for a year at uni and just got quite mashed. Just fucked around really. In a way, it was a bad move, but it also took the pressure off, to not do anything and not worry about it, and just get my thoughts together.

After a breather, I really sort of figured ‘Ok no I really wanna do this’. I started pushing harder and met Ant TC1. Ant was super enthusiastic about everything, gave me a lot of opportunities. I met Chris Octane at the time as well. Got in the studio with Ant and made a tune, and that’s kind of where it all kick started really. It was a real steady progression for me man. I think that steady progression has really defined me and my sound. 

So you said you played a lot of instruments, do they come into your productions?

Nah, it’s the same like I learnt a lot of languages when I was young as well man – I just never really paid attention, just like a fucking useless kid. It’s that mentality of throwing a lot of opportunities away when I was young, I remember having a chat with my Mum when I was around 20, saying like ‘I’m not happy, I feel like everything I’ve done and all the opportunities you gave me when I was young were wasted, a bit depressed about it really because I feel like you gave me everything and I did nothing’. And she was like “Well yeah you can feel depressed if you want, or could just say well that’s what I did then, why not do the opposite now?” So I used that anger and disappointment towards my youth to push even harder.

More than anything I remember the musicality of it all and the mentality of my teachers, and how I learnt about songs, songwriting, structuring, arranging – and my ear just being tuned in over the years.

So I think there are two parts to that, obviously at the time you thought it was a waste, but looking back the dots join up and lead you into the final product that you are today, and secondly I think that is a great mindset to have – using the past to drive you forward rather than dwelling on it

Yeah exactly, at the time I just totally didn’t get it mate. My parents are just amazing people. It’s cool man, I’m very much the same person now but also very different in a lot of ways, because in ways I’m successful, I work really hard, and I’m happy about that.

It absolutely paid off, great advice from your Mum there!

Haha yeah if anyone wants any advice or help she’s fucking amazing for that!

Haha there you go, hit up J’s Mum for life advice! So you’ve just come back from playing 3 festivals – how was the vibe at Outlook? I bet it was incredible!

Yeah, I’ve been to Outlook for 11 years in a row, they’re really good friends of mine, we’re like family really. I’ve seen the progression of that festival over the years, it really represents our side of bass/dance music. They’re all about the sound system, providing the crowd and the artist with the best platform for this music. I feel like Drum & Bass is the undisputed rave music, all the drum & bass stages were just rammed. The music and the diversity, and the energy from the people said to me that we are very very much on top again. So that was amazing to see man. 

It’s always a pleasure to go and play over there, we play on the Void Stage – the Neuron Audio rig is fucking insane, it’s great to have people to hear your music in that context. Someone said to me if you had that Void sound system everywhere in the world, Drum & Bass would be 5000x as big as it is because people would actually get it. 

And then also Sunandbass, every time man, the energy is just crazy, you know, the people just love that shit so much. Really good times over there man, I personally had an amazing time with the extended drum & bass family, we all had an amazing time together. So yeah man, mega successful times over there!

Brilliant! Any funny stories you can share from the festival…?

Haha! There’s a tune on Charlie Break‘s new album and all of us just refused to accept what the lyrics are, we just made up our own. There’d be videos flying back and forth between Smithy Total Science, and us lot, and it got pretty out of hand. On stage one night, he played it and we all came on stage and had a big sing along. Randall popped up as well, it was just hilarious mate. I’m glad Charlie understood the piss take!

A lot of people in the drum & bass scene man, you ask them that question and the whole thing is just a complete piss take the whole time. That’s why we love the scene man. 

Ha! Will we be seeing a DLR vocal edit being released then?

Hahaha mate, I’ve got this auto-tune app on my phone, there’s about like 10 different auto-tuned versions on there from various people it’s hilarious. But I don’t think those will be coming out, unfortunately, no, sorry mate haha!

We spent a lot of time with Randall as well, and he just embodies that attitude man. He’s just so happy go lucky about it all, always on a good vibe, always willing to take the piss and be jovial.

He’s always got a smile on his face!

It’s ridiculous man, he was playing his set on the Clearing Stage and we all went up with him. At the end of his set, I’m on the side of the stage a bit mashed and he’s shouting after me, “Come do that fucking ending that you do with all the reverb and delays and that, mash it up and stuff! Yeah yeah come now and mash up the end of the tune!” I was like “…alright! If you want mate!” Do you know what I mean, it’s that sort of attitude, like who’s gonna do that in Techno? He’s so inclusive and just wants that family vibe.

So let’s talk about your EP now…

Yeah man since I finished my album it’s my biggest body of work in one package. I’m really happy with it man, I just want shit to be different really, I just do stuff that I wanna do. You can spend your whole life worrying about everybody else and what they think and what they’re doing, but it comes to a point eventually where you just have to get your head down and do your own thing – and that’s the only way you’re ever going to achieve any sort of originality in the sound.

So I really tried with this EP to do that. The drums are big, they’re breaky, the songs are different, they’re weird in many ways, and they’re a throwback in some ways, but also updated with that new production and super loud mixdowns and all that sorta shit. 

You get a lot of people who are coming up on your sound & are super inspired by it, maybe struggling to find their own sound and they wanna do your sound, take Skeptical for example – everybody wants to do that sound. Then Skeppy’s like “Ok cool, if everyone wants to do that, you do that and I’m gonna move on”. So yeah that’s what I tried to do with this one.

I think it’s important here to say like if you wanna do that, that’s cool but I think it’s always going to be difficult to stand out from the crowd unless you really push to be. 

What you said really resonates with me in that when you’re creating, you need to forget about other people and stay true to yourself. To expand on that, do you have any advice for new producers in terms of finding their own sound? 

Man, this is really difficult. I was speaking to Dillinja about this and he confirmed this idea of just keeping your head in the sand. You immerse yourself in this world, like I mentioned about the year off, I wasn’t making beats but I was more going out to raves, getting fucked up, listening to music, doing all this stuff, and just sort of tuning the ear in really. 

It’s just a subconscious thing that’s there inside of us. If you just trust that, if you really love it and you’re really involved, it’s all there. You’ve just gotta find this way of being relaxed enough for it to be accessed, you know what I mean? When you’re at the computer you’ll find yourself working in a certain way with sounds, and your music will sound a certain way, and you just need to allow that to develop. 

But it is a balance, of course, you want to do your studying, you want to have your knowledge and know about what you’re doing, then you’ve got to reach a point of just shutting off, locking yourself away and getting on with it, not worrying about everyone else. 

Like people back in the day would’ve said to Dilly your tunes are distorted, and he’d be like “that’s my tune, I don’t really give a fuck, that’s what I wanted”, you know what I mean? And now that’s the sound that we all try and follow. 

That’s really good advice. Trust the creative process and go with it. 

Yeah man, it’s super difficult but yeah that 100% is my advice. You’ve got the find the moments to shut yourself off from the world. Sometimes I’ll get all my work done, throw the phone out the studio and just get involved. It’s the excitement and the drive of wanting to create that allows me to ignore everything else. 

It’s super difficult though, and every year gets more difficult in terms of my life and the things I take on. I’ve had to learn again recently how to achieve that creativity. I was getting mega frustrated I just couldn’t do it. I’d throw my phone out and I’ve had a ton of messages like “J we need this, J we need that” – it’s difficult to manage. 

Definitely, I think you need that, to just shut everything out for a while and have that space-time oasis to really get into it

Definitely man, and I don’t think it’s common to have that thought in our side of the scene. I think it’s really common with bands, bands have always done that – like go to a studio in Wales for a week. It’s something that me and Steve (Mako) for OneMind want to do because we just want to have a bit more space to just create, you know? It is super difficult in this day and age and I think that’s sometimes what stops people from achieving. 

So we touched upon it earlier, I wanted to discuss the track titles of the tunes on the EP, they really stood out. Is there a meaning behind all three?

I think because I’ve been having a hard time creating and finding that time like we just touched on, and having to relearn how to start a tune again, so I started calling stuff quite frustrated titles, like “Do I know what I’m doing?”. Also “Looking in from the outside” is maybe just the point of view of taking a step back to just appreciate things. 

Sometimes it’s cool to just look down on it all and be like, “Ok what’s going on here” – like I said about me having that break when I was younger, I did that again recently, tried to step back a bit and just enjoy DJ’ing, running Collective, running my label, finishing the OneMind album, and really over the past 6 months just trying to take that all in. So that’s actually been really helpful and the tune name kind of reflects that idea.  But it’s all based on the frustration of reaching this point and not really having a clue what’s going on, or what I’m doing, or whether I’m any good – which is so silly, but you get so deep in it eventually that you just don’t have a clue really man.

“When I’m Tripping”; is just because we’re all fucking tripping, over shit all the time, like mad shit, just getting too fucking caught up in shit and worrying.

It happened a lot with my last album Dreamland, I had around 6 tunes done at the time Gusto bought his vocals to the table – and what I realised was that a lot of those tune titles pointed towards this concept that Gus had of about ‘Dreamland’, which was about the idea of being a white middle-class person living in a dream, not realising all the shit going on around me, living in a bubble really. Sometimes, although difficult its good to step back and take a look at the World that surrounds you, it’s hard to really appreciate the harsh realities of the World if you are blessed, but the first step is trying to learn and educate yourself about others and their situations.

When I look back on the tune titles for this EP, it all pushes in one sort of direction, which is really strange to me because it’s all so subconscious at the time. It always comes around in a really thoughtless way, but always has a lot of meaning. 

Really cool that, it’s like the subconscious manifests itself in the music, and then you later understand the subconscious through the music

Yeah! It’s really fucking weird mate. It’s honestly really defined my life over the past three or four years, through tune titles and stuff on the Dreamland album and that mentality and I see it fucking everywhere now, like we’re all living in this dreamland like “oh it’s all fine”, and it’s not fine at all, in a way everybody’s fucked, just because you’re a white middle class doesn’t mean that the whole world isn’t fucked, do you know what I mean?

Yeah like living in a bubble…

Yeah exactly, just because Theresa May and Donald Trump aren’t particularly affecting my life directly right now at this point, doesn’t mean they’re not ruining many other peoples lives. Doesn’t mean that in like 2 years’ time that everything won’t go to total shit, and then it’ll be too late. 

So going on a different tangent, I’m curious – what does a typical DLR studio session look like?

Hmm, preparation is mega key. So I’m prepping up all the time in terms of making drums, making basses and making sounds, having shit there ready to go. Then when it comes down to it, you’ve prepared so much that you can just perform in the studio – like a Sportsman on game day or something. Even with prep, I don’t always achieve this…

So for me, it’s just constant work and constant disappointment really, of making a load of shit – drum breaks that sound no good, kick drums that sound shit. Then being like, okay that was cool, what did I learn from it? Let’s try again. And again. And again. Then eventually you get some good ones, and you bring those to the table in the studio. That’s my process really, it just takes a lot of prep. 

I’m really obsessed with creating everything that I do, except for like the key vibe samples, something from a film or something that gives you that path. My process is very long and frustrating, and not very fruitful, especially when I work on my own. I see it like me being in the lab, pressing and learning, making those mistakes. Like someone in the lab trying to cure cancer; like you’re gonna be on that road for a long time and every day. Imagine being a scientist trying to cure cancer, your career is full of 0.1% of a success and 99.9% failure. You just keep pushing and then one day you may be the one who cures the cancer, or gets very close to doing so. That’s the drive, isn’t it?

So yeah from all that pre-prep, all that time in the studio, or the lab, researching, doing all that shit – can mean that those sessions on the right day with the right people can be super quick and super fulfilling. 

Interesting analogy J! 

Haha, I’m obsessed with analogies man, you can’t really explain shit to people in this world without analogies I don’t think!

But yeah it’s important to remember that not everything you make is gold, just keep at it. 

Exactly man, we’re just all making a lot of shit all the time! All of us, whether it’s Perez or Skeppy or whatever, you just don’t hear it. You have to make those mistakes to move forward, and it’s how you navigate these things that define you.

I saw an interesting stat a while ago, claiming that Michael Jackson wrote 120 songs for one album and only put out 12. I don’t know how true it is but I think it rings true for every musician – you’ll make a lot of rubbish, and the gold will come

Exactly man! I think the art and the challenge of it all is to reach past all of that frustration and disappointment and to keep on driving until you get to the point where you’re not disappointment anymore. 

We’ve all been there, any time one of us is super frustrated then we’re all talking to each other. Like Charlie (Break) will come over and be like “Argh I’m so pissed off, I just can’t get my shit right”, and you’re just like… that’s Break! People don’t think that Break struggles. But he goes back home and nails it, and that’s what we all hear in the club!

I think it goes for anyone in the world who wants to be successful, you need to navigate those points of difficulty and learn how to get through them, not let it drive you into a state of depression where you feel like a failure. You’ve got to try and use it as a fuel to make you want to work harder and achieve. 

Absolutely! I think it’ll be reassuring for a lot of our readers that artists like yourself and Break struggle at times… simply put you’ve just got to power through and crack on.

100% man. 

So moving away from music quickly… now I’m not sure how much time you have for this what with Sofa Sounds, OneMind, DLR, but what do you like to do outside of making music?

Umm… I am really obsessed with music man. A lot of my other time can be spent enjoying music rather than drum & bass – I don’t really listen to drum & bass, I don’t sort of engulf myself with it outside of the rave, or being with people who are really into it. I just listen to and enjoy other stuff. Which is a big part of my life. Other than that I love watching football mate! I love watching Tottenham and I’m obsessed with that, it’s a really nice escape for me. I like to keep semi-active man, play some sports, go on holiday with my wife and my friends, going for walks, enjoying really nice food. 

But you know, it’s my career, a lot of my life is spent on music. I’ve got many years in the future I’m sure to not be doing that, so at the moment it’s really important for me to do that. 

Enjoy the ride for sure!

So it sounds like there’s not that much going on outside but you know, that’s a big part of it, like filling your life with family time, going to see brothers, my nieces, my nephews. Just trying to not be up all night with drum & bass and getting mashed and having that real nice escape. Every time I do take a break, I always feel like fucking hell I need more of that! 

But yeah again you can get yourself too deep, like if all you do is music, that’s when everything becomes really negative, and it becomes difficult to write. It’s at times when you’re lying there in bed, or chilling with your family, that all of a sudden you’ll have these epiphanies sometimes, and you’ll be like “Ahhh yeah! I could do that!”, or you’ll just get little ideas on how you want to work, or on a certain sound you wanna hear. You know what I mean? It just all of a sudden opens your mind up when you just remove yourself from it a bit. I think it’s really important for people to remember that, because it’s one of the hardest things to do. 

Is there anything else in particular that you’d like to talk about?

Umm… I think it’s important to say that there’s a lot of new labels about, something that we all believe is one of the reasons that the scene is so booming at the moment, it’s really opened up the creative doors! Spectrasoul, Alix Perez, Lenzman, Me, Ulterior Motive, Kid Drama, we’ve all got these labels, and there’s loads more, and we’re all feeling so creative and energetic about it at the moment. The music is really at the top of its game. I feel like it’s almost as good as the late 90’s because of the diversity and the core sound is just so fucking sick.

But at the same time, I don’t think people should misinterpret that as us lot not wanting to be a part of, or respecting what those labels like Dispatch and Shogun have done for us, and the road that they paved for us. Also especially in regard to me, in no way am I turning my back on Ant or Dispatch at all, I’m very much in tune with Ant and what he’s doing, and I want to be a part of that. But at the same time, he respected that I’m one of those artists that’s got a lot to give. He appreciates that and always knew that I was sort of going to peel away a little bit, but I have a lot of respect for Ant. Without him and Chris Octane, they gave me so much in the scene, they helped me get to this point. Ant helped me a lot with the label, he advises me, links me up with various people, and he’s fully behind it.

It’d be easy for people out there to think that all of us are turning our backs on those labels but it’s important to state that it’s not the case at all, it’s all very amicable between all of us. 

It’s a great time for drum & bass with all the artists doing their own thing, great to hear and see all the creative freedom

Yeah man, it’s something I’ve thought about a lot, I thought it was important to say that in this interview so little Anthony knows that he’s loved.

Hahaha – I’ll make sure to get that in there!

Haha yeah, you can throw that in the end as a little conclusion. “Little Anthony is definitely loved, bye everyone!”

Ha, one last question then, what’s coming up next for you?

I’ve actually fucked my plan a little bit, I was talking to one of the legends in the scene who’s been running his label for a number of years, and everybody knows the label. He was really keen on one of the tunes I had lined up for Sofa Sounds, so probably going to scrap that on Sofa Sounds and give that to him! 

So I had everything planned out but that’s all switched now. So next up, I’m working on getting the next release out by me, War and Hydro on my label called ‘It’s Not Too Late’ with another track called ‘Trick’. 

After that I’m working with an artist from France called Mateba, his 12’s all wrapped up on the label and that’s going out digital. 

I’ve hopefully got a little bit on a future, very special project that Metalheadz are doing, as DLR. 

And then I just want to get some more bits done for Ant, for Sofa Sounds, as OneMind for Metalheadz, and also working on various projects with other people – one, in particular, I’m working with Hydro and Smithy from Total Science. We can’t actually think of a name, got a couple of really fucking good tunes, so everything’s ‘Unknown’, ‘Unknown’, ‘Unknown’ at the moment! So we’re really excited about that, the tunes are really cool and it’s buzzing us out, everybody else is really into them.

Lots of cool merch coming, lots of cool releases coming, got some ideas for a real cool obscure 7″ release that’s going to be really collectable I think.

Alright, cheers J that was a pleasure mate!

Big ups mate, thanks so much, peace!

Buy DLR’s Dispatch Dublplate EP here

The post In Conversation with…DLR appeared first on Data Transmission.

A staple in the rise of New York City nightlife in the 90s and 2000s, and a legend in his own right. Roger Sanchez a.k.a. S-Man has been conquering the dance music circuit since the late 80s riding the wave of creativity, passion, and major success. He’s collaborated with a plethora of music icons including Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Maroon 5, One Republic, and No Doubt. He is a four-time winner of the DJ Awards ‘Best House DJ’, has produced countless chart-topping hits including ‘Lost’ which reached #1 on the Billboard dance chat, AND he won grammy for his remix of No Doubt’s ‘Hella Good’ in 2002. His name is known and respected across the globe with residencies in Ibiza’s finest clubs for nearly two decades. In Roger Sanchez’s eyes, music is cyclical. ” It’s about drawing influences from the past and re-imagining it in a completely different way.” It taught us to “Release Yourself” and year after year, his resounding, soulful sound keeps us coming back for more.

Data Transmission was lucky enough to catch up with Roger on an off day in Ibiza amidst his crazy summer schedule.

First off, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to speak with Data Transmission. It’s an honour to chat with one of the first DJ’s that I was exposed to growing up in New York City. I’m sure a lot of our readers and listeners are excited to hear about what you’ve been up to these last few years and what you have in store for the coming months. So how has the summer been treating you so far?

Well, at this exact moment I’m lying down by the pool in Ibiza so i’m not doing too bad at the moment.

Oh that sounds terrible!

It sounds horrendous, doesn’t it (laughs) ?  It’s actually been a very busy summer so far and it’s been great. I’ve been doing hardcore touring around Europe. I’m doing my summer residency at Glitterbox and Hï in Ibiza. I also played at Amnesia and did the opening at Privilege. I’m touring quite excessively, a lot of movement, a lot of work in the summertime. I just did a back-to-back set with David Morales for Southport Weekender which was pretty massive, it was a lot of fun

Good to hear you’re keeping busy. So where is home base for the summer amid all the touring?

Over the summertime I’m based in Ibiza, I have a house out here. I move around Europe quite a bit but Ibiza is home base.

What are some of the best/must visit spots in Ibiza?

If you’re talking club-wise, you definitely want to check out Hï which is the re-done Space. They did an amazing job refurbishing the space. I also think Pacha is a must visit, especially when Solomun is playing, he’s got a great night there. Find out when the Elrow parties are going on, I believe they’re doing it at Amnesia this year. Those parties are always fun. I also like this party called WooMoon that they do in Cova Santa which is really reallly interesting. Very interesting vibe, different kind of music and a really cool crowd.

That sounds exotic, we’ll have to check it out. After all this partying you must build up some hunger… What is your go-to food spot in Ibiza?

(excitement) There are a few places that are realllly amazing. I think my top pick this year is going to be Coricancha, which is a Peruvian restaurant that the owner of Blue Marlin just opened up. It’s in Las Salinas and it’s definitely my number one pick of the year for amazing restaurants. Another one that’s really interesting is called Heart Ibiza – it’s more of a restaurant/live show. It’s a collaboration between Guy Laliberté (founder of Cirque du Soleil) and his long-time friends Albert and Ferràn Adrià. Albert was the number one chef at el Bulli for years. Heart is an interesting take on street food and they pair that with this kind-of, hmm what’s the word i’m looking for? It’s like burlesque, but it’s not a burlesque show – it’s really interesting! They move you around to different places in the restaurant and it’s an experience to eat there. That’s one experience I would say is definitely worth doing. I have to tell you though, Heart is an expensive night out so you’re going to have to reach into your pockets for that one. Coricancha is not as expensive… its not what I call “street food”, but definitely worth experiencing the atmosphere and food. They’ve got a great Maître D; she guides you through the food so its really worth checking out.

 You definitely sparked some interest here, thank you for the recommendations! Peruvian food is always a top pick… will have to visit both spots when we return to the isle. Moving onto some exciting music news…. Some congratulations are in order. Your record labels Stealth and Undr the Radr have recently been welcomed into the Armada family. How did this relationship come to fruition and what motivated this move?

Thank you, thank you! Very exciting news. What’s interesting is that I’ve had these labels for quite some time and I’ve been really focused on A&R and making sure that the music is right. I’ve been noticing that Armada had been reaching outwards trying to get more involved with house-oriented labels and they have a very specific lot of people that they want to work with. They approached someone that I was working with and said “We would be very interested in discussing a possible label deal with Roger”, so I said okay and I sat down with them. We had a great conversation; I saw the business model that they use and we came to an agreement. They have great distribution power, they have the ability to really place things where they need to be, and I like the organization and the way they work. One of the most important things is that I maintain autonomy and make sure that it is a joint venture. They are involved, but everything is about what my vision is for the labels – that is my number one thing – my labels are my labels. I want to make sure that no matter what I do, my vision is respected. Armada embraces that idea and that vision, which is great! And they’re being very supportive of house music which is really great to see, especially with the transition that the electronic music scene has gone through the past few years.

We’ve been following Armin van Buuren (founder of Armada) since the middle school days and its evident that Armada has expanded greatly from their original trance roots. Armada has flourished as a label and the ways they’re expanding, music-wise is very exciting. We believe you’re in good hands so we look forward to more releases from you on the Armada label. Secondly, congratulations on your newest release AND first release on the Armada label. A collaboration with Cari Golden, ‘Work 4 It’ is nice dancefloor ready tune with a lot of soul, perfect for the summer. And it’s making a lot of traction with just one month since its release. How did you and Cari come to meet and how did the idea sprout to produce a track together?

Cari and I have been speaking for quite some time… I’ve been very aware of the things she does and I love the appearances shes had on other artists’ tracks. We actually met in Los Angeles – she came to one of the gigs I was playing because that’s where she lives. We got to chatting and said “we should definitely work together.” I had started working on this track, it was all about the bassline. It had a really dirty, funky bassline… it was very soulful and very gritty. I sent her the track and said, “well what do you think about this?”, and she said “I love this, this is different than what i’m working on.” Then she just nailed it with the song and the vocals. I love the hooks and the catchy vibe that she created. I told her that the most important thing to me is to tell a story and she agreed, so we vibed on that. She laid down the vocals, send it back to me and I completed the production. And there it is.

The passion behind the project is felt from both of your throughout the entire track. We’ve had the latest Stealth records release on repeat since it dropped in late-May, so kudos to you guys. We hope to hear more collaborations between Roger Sanchez and Cari Golden in the future. Can you share with us your approach to separating productions released on Stealth and those released on Undr the Radr?

Stealth tends to be more oriented towards vocals; what some would term as a “classic house” approach, which is narrowly defined in the sense of sound. But it is very much house and it is big on vocals. I try to develop more of “the artist side of things” and try to look for the longer-term artist build with Stealth. Undr the Radr is very much my underground baby; it’s really about putting quality music that moves me from the underground. It could be deep, it could be techno, tech… it’s where I turned to re-introduce my S-Man alias. I felt it was the perfect vehicle for the return of S-Man because I wanted to make a distinction between Stealth and Undr the Radr. Stealth is what people traditionally associate my Roger Sanchez sound with, the soulfulness, the Latin-side of things. The S-Man is very closely associated with Undr the Radr for the grittiness, the grime, the going-right for the jugular; for anything coming from the underground, below the club level.

The grittier the better! You must receive thousands of demos a day… what sticks out to you in a track that makes you want to sign it to one of your labels?

My first determining factor is “Which label will it fit on?” Is it leaning more towards Stealth, or does it fit with Undr the Radr? For example, let’s say i’m listening to that may be more closely associated with Undr the Radr – the first thing is, it’s gotta have something that sets it apart in terms of vibe and the sound of the track. It could be very dirty and rugged, or it could be “cleanly” produced. But there has to be something unique about the vibe that works for the label. The next thing I look for is the ability for a track to hang within my sets. I think about if I drop it in a set, how it will make me feel, and how it will make the crowd feel. if it’s something that really works for me then I know it’s something that will work for a label. Individual styles are very important, I don’t just want to keep repeating the same thing. The other thing that I always looks for is growth. if an artist is sending me different tracks, I want to see how they’re growing and maturing with their productions. For Stealth, if a track feels like it has another dimension to it, it could be a vocal, it could be an instrumental, but it has to have a certain vibe that transcends only a narrow bandwidth of listeners and its something that touches my soul, that’s something that I would gear towards Stealth. It’s about the execution, it’s about the vibe and i’m very personally involved with all aspects of A&R for y labels.

It’s great that you’re deeply, personally involved with every release on each label. You are a pioneer in your own right at delivering tracks that make people feel good and killll it on the dancefloor. You are also THE pioneer of internet broadcast radio having received the first-ever BEST PODCAST Award at the International Dance Music Awards in 2007. The Release Yourself radio show,which began more than one decade ago, has more than TWENTY MILLION world-wide listeners today… How do you keep the show fresh and relevant? How do come about choosing artists to showcase on Release Yourself radio?

I am 100% in control in choosing all the music for the show.  I mix it myself and I make sure I take the time out of the week, each week to dedicate to the show. It’s what drives me, it’s my passion for music  that keeps the show fresh. I’m constantly hunting for new music. Each week I’m going through hundreds, sometimes thousands of tracks in a week to be able to exactly what I want to do with the radio show, which also translates to the dancefloor. The show is very much a reflection of the dancefloor. I make sure I’m constantly on top of going through new music and i’m really passionate about it. That’s how I keep things fresh.

In terms of where I meet artists that I include in Release Yourself radio, it’s a combination of meeting artists around the world at shows or industry events, and also sorting through demos that I receive. I meet some people on the road, but I also connect with a lot of people online. Many people reach out through social media and I make it priority to constantly stay connected with artists and fans through social media.

That’s great! It’s important to stay connected to your community – artists and fans – through social media; not all artists do. The fans are what keep artists alive. You have a busier tour schedule than most. You’ve touched down in more than 80 or 90 countries, maybe more. BUT — what is one thing you miss about your hometown of Queens New York?

FAMILY is the thing that I miss the most. Not being able to constantly see them all the time. Specifically, I have a lot of family members in Queens that I haven’t seen in quite some time. It’s all about family.

 Can we expect a return to New York anytime soon?

Definitely, I’ll be back in the fall. The last NY venue I played was Space; there are a few venue I’m looking into playing when I get home. Possibly something in Brooklyn, but I’ll keep you posted.

Please do, we’re looking forward to your return! Would you say your Dominican background and New York upbringing helped shape the range of your music taste and production style, and if so, in what way?

The Latin sound, the sound from my childhood – the percussive side of Latin music has very much influenced my taste and production style, and what I play on the dancefloor. The beats, the vocals, you could feel my Latin-heritage come through with almost all of my music.

We love the Latin flavor so keep it coming! So for our final question, what would 2017 Roger Sanchez a.k.a. S-Man say to (circa) 1990 -1992 Roger Sanchez a.k.a. Egotrip a.k.a. El Mariach (and the list of aliases goes on and on) say to 1990 Roger Sanchez?

The first thing I would say is, “keep doing what you’re doing because you’re going to get to where you’re going exactly how you’re going. But be careful of some people along the way that might look too good to be true. Just keep on doing what you’re doing. BE YOURSELF.

That is genuine, honest advice and we appreciate you saying that to 1990s Roger Sanchez…

I’m sure he would have appreciated it too

Roger Sanchez featuring Cari Golden ‘Work 4 It’ is out now on Stealth Records – PURCHASE HERE, make sure you vote for Roger in the DJ Awards this year and  If you’re in Ibiza this season be sure to catch Roger Sanchez during Glitterbox Friday’s at Hï Ibiza or chat him at Defected Croatia from 10th – 15th August which includes our Data Transmission Stage for more info head to http://defected.com/croatia/

The post In Conversation with… Roger Sanchez appeared first on Data Transmission.

If you’ve been fan of techno music before its influx of neon colored sea-demons then you’ve probably heard the name John Tejada. Associated with the upper class of Detroit and European techno, Tejada is known for dancing between genre lines with his deeply layered, pulsating sounds. Admired as a DJ, producer, remixer, and label pioneer for his deliverance of magnificently crafted high-energy house and techno tracks, Tejada perches at the top of industry pyramid with more than two decades of success under his belt. Somewhere amidst techno, acid house, ambient, and classic house, John Tejada has made his way into your speakers and whether you know it or not (but hopefully you know), you’ve danced to his legendary, signature sounds.

We caught up with John Tejada during Movement Electronic Music Festival to chat about techno, real techno, Detroit, the current state of the music industry, toys, and how to stay inspired in a deluged industry.

Can you tell us about the moment you fell in love with dance music?

John Tejada: I was sort of bred on 80s hip hop. I always had an ear for the faster electro type records that were part of all of that. I started DJ’ing when I was 12 and was buying records before that. It was more about the sounds for me but eventually when I started playing out is when I realized the dance element and how powerful that is in a space of people.

What is your personal connection to Detroit and how did this relationship come about?

JT: I’ve been influenced by different styles of music from Detroit as far back as I can remember. Then there was techno of course which made a massive impact. My wife is from the area so I visit to see family often. This is how I met so many of the locals responsible for the Detroit dance sound and how I got to work with quite a few of them.

You’ve been producing music since the 90’s so you’ve witnessed many changes within the industry from sound to technology, and “the scene” in general. Is there anything you miss about the early days when you were starting out? What are some aspects of the industry that you think changed for the better? for the worse?

JT: Doing things required a bit more effort. You couldn’t just make a tune, throw it online, have people playing it that night and not really need a physical release let alone a label. There’s some positive to that, but I feel the effort and time was part of the process. There were less distractions. No emails or social media. I’m still a big fan of physical music formats. There was a real magic in finding out about a record, ordering it and waiting for it, getting it and taking it home and staring at the cover as you listened to it a few times. This gave new music a lot of purpose and made it matter. You just don’t get the same with clicking on a link and previewing through the middle a few clicks. It seems to have devalued the experience and I’m not sure we’ll ever get that back.

How important is building a real relationship with the music you’re creating? There’s so much music out there, is it even possible to build meaningful long-term relationships with a particular track or album? Would you say you are deeply connected to one, or more of your tracks?

JT: This goes back to question 3. It takes a little more effort to give it purpose and not treat it as disposable. So it really has to have a process and purpose to feel connected to it. For me that means less distraction and being there with the music and letting my imagination work away whether I’m creating or just listening.

What are some of the biggest mental tools you can obtain to be a successful dance music producer?

Learning and practicing an instrument is still very important to me. I’ve lost most of my piano practice but still play drums and a bit of guitar. Making music is largely about capturing a performance that may only happen once a certain way. Programming music is a slightly different process, but I feel that the ability to give a performance with an instrument can have huge benefits to your creative perception when it comes to making even electronic music.

What do you believe makes a great techno track?

JT: The unexpected.

‘Signs Under Test’ was your last studio album released in 2015. Might we expect a new studio album in the near future? Can you share a bit about current projects you are working on?

JT: I’d like to get a new album out soon. In the meantime there will be a new John Tejada single soon. There is also music coming out with my long time collaborators. With Justin Maxwell I’ve got a new EP titled “I’ve Got Acid” on LA’s Acid Camp. With Arian Leviste I’ve got a new one coming called “Rock The Transport” on Playground. Also, after 20 years I am relaunching my Mr. Hazeltine alias on Just Another Beat very soon.

We are definitely excited for the return of Mr. Hazeltine and you can’t go wrong in collaborating with old friends so look forward to what’s in store. How do you come to the “game time decision” for selecting a particular record to play live?

JT: I keep my selection choices pretty minimal per set so I sort of have a direction that tracks could go. There are a few key ones that I’ll be excited to fit in at the right moment. It’s just being patient and mindful about timing for me.

What is one of your absolute favorite vinyl’s to play live?

JT: I don’t think I have one that I’ve dropped throughout the years. Favorites are always changing for me.

For you, what is the difference between playing a DJ set and using a live setup?

JT: A live set takes a lot more preparation and concentration. I don’t use a laptop live so there’s a lot more practice involved. I’m also limited to playing only my own music so there isn’t a huge track list to choose from. Live works better in certain venues and Dj works better in others.

What still motivates you / inspires you to continue making music in a day and age when “everyone wants to be a DJ”?

JT: It’s just what I do. I enjoy it. I have a drive to create sounds that interest me and make me happy. There’s a moment when things start to click together musically and that’s sort of the payoff that keeps me inspired.

Do what you love. Is there a small, pivotal piece of advice you may have received along your journey that you would pass onto up and coming producers?

JT: I can share one that occurred to me a couple of years ago. Being original and doing what want can be more very difficult than you’d imagine. You may even lose some friends over it. Don’t be afraid to follow your inner voice and create what you believe in even when others tell you otherwise.

Can you share a bit about what you have in store for OK Cool’s 5th Anniversary party in Detroit?

JT: I’ll be DJ’ing some current and older favorites as well as well as lots of unreleased material I’ve been working on. This is such a great event at the close of Movement weekend so I’m really looking forward to playing this one alongside so many talented artists.

We can confirm that OK Cool! 5th Anniversary at TV Lounge was a haven for 90s classic house thanks to John Tejada, Honey Dijon, Doc Martin and the rest of the gang! One of our top after party picks during Movement Electronic Music Festival.

The post Interview with John Tejada at Movement appeared first on Data Transmission.