Monthly newspaper and online publication targeting 18 to 35 year olds. The ultimate guide to the hottest parties, going out and having fun. Music, fashion, film, travel, festivals, technology, comedy, and parties! London, Barcelona, Miami and Ibiza.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/994595
Was there someone or something that inspired you to start produc- ing and playing drum and bass? My first proper nightclub experi- ence. I remember walking in, Andy C & High Contrast were DJing and it blew my mind! That's when I realised I wanted to DJ as well as produce. How did you first get noticed and signed to Ram records, tell us about that journey? I'd been sending tunes to Hospital Records for a while but they didn't seem interested apart from my track Hypnosis. I remember getting knocked back quite a bit by a lot of people but then Cyantific played Andy C a few bits on the train on the way to a show they were play- ing in Newcastle and Andy heard something he liked. I remember getting a message from Andy late one night saying that he loved my tunes and wanted me to come for a meeting in Hornchurch at the Ram Records HQ an I couldn't be- lieve it. From there we kept going back and forth talking about my music and he kept testing my tunes wherever he was going. Eventually, I made 'Moonwalker' and that was my first release! Your eagerly anticipated collabo- ration with Sub Focus on 'Take Me Up' is making a huge impact across dance floors right now, what's the creative process like when working with Sub Focus, did he have any annoying habits or funny stories? It's been amazing to see the reac- tion to 'Take It Up'. It was such an amazing experience working with Sub Focus as his songs and production have always been a massive inspiration of mine. We actually do a lot of shows together and get to hang out quite a bit so we decided to get working on a collab when we were on the way to New Zealand last year on the plane. The tune just came out of nowhere and we managed to give it its first spin on New Year's Eve in New Zealand. The video has just dropped, and it's definitely interesting. What made you guys decide to docu- ment and feature base jumper, Jeb Corliss? Personally extreme sports has always had a place in my heart the way music has. I used to skate- board and then got seriously into BMXing in my late teens/early 20's. I guess you could say I'm a adrena- line junky and that's what lead me to explore extreme sports with my music videos recently. Jeb is pretty extreme! We knew we wanted to create a video with a sense of height and free fall to relate to the track title and who better than the world's top BASE jumper! What piece of hardware (or soft- ware) would you say has l been the most instrumental in your productions in the last decade? It's hard to say as it changes all the time but I'd have to say Native Instruments - Kontakt for its instru- ment sample libraries. How long did it take you to put your Hypnotic album together, given your busy touring/deejay schedule? I started writing Hypnotic as soon as I released 'Lazers Not Included' so it took about 3 years which was frustratingly long. It's definitely difficult to get in the studio with such a busy touring schedule but I also wanted to create a live show that took things to the next level. I've put a lot of energy and money into that over the last 4 years and I don't regret it for a second, it's allowed me to play at with other bands at festivals and on stages I would never have been able to play at as a DJ. Does the album reflect how you have developed over the last few years as a person and as an artist? I feel like Hypnotic definitely rep- resents where I was at the time of writing it, it represents the second chapter in my musical journey. I'm actually really excited to lock my- self away in a studio somewhere in the world to write a third album. Talking of touring, how's it like down under, we have just seen the pictures of you, Andy C, Tonn Piper on the beach in Perth, did you guys have fun? I love it down under! It was good catching up with Andy and the crew. It's always amazing to see how my music has touched people so far away on the other side of the world. Actually, New Zealand is where it's at for me. They get my music like no other country and I love it over there, the people, the chilled out atmosphere and the beautiful landscape. You're making your way back to Ibiza for Together for the fouth time now, apart from the money what makes you keep going back? Without sounding cliché the Island is magical. Not only are there par- ties 7 days a week but there are amazing restaurants dotted all over the island in various beautiful spots, there's always something hippie going on to get involved in. Within the drum And bass scene, what other artists or deejays do you rate for their productions, work ethic or personality? At the moment Nu: Logic & 1991 for the levels of musicality. Mefjus & Culture Shock for the levels of production. How long does it usually take you to prepare for your live shows, talk us through your day? I spend about 3 weeks each Janu- ary working out the new tunes with the band and making sure every- one's playing nice and tight and making sure each instrument and sound has as much energy as the track. It's important for me to make sure that the sonics of the band match the sonics on the track. Then I get into how I want the produc- tion to look. We really stepped it up for my show at Brixton Acad- emy this year as it's such a big space to fill so we needed to take it to the next level, I love working on the aesthetic of the show and how to eventuate certain points of the set with pyro or lights. We heard that you have always been into hip hop. Tell us some of the tunes that defined hip hop's golden era for you? The first hip hop album I bought was Public Enemy - He Got Game. I was always drawn to the produc- tion and the samples and didn't pay much attention to the lyrics until my early teens. I'd say my favourite tracks from the 90's are Jurassic 5 - 'Concrete Streets', Souls Of Mischief - '93 'Till Infinity', Jazzy Jeff & Will Smith - 'Summer- time' (guilty pleasure). DRUM & BASS Wilkinson tells us why he loves New Zealand, getting signed to Ram records and his long-awaited collaboration with Sub Focus. " I'M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED TO LOCK MYSELF AWAY IN A STUDIO SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD TO WRITE A THIRD ALBUM. " 45 2018 / ISSUE 109 Roshan Ram | Guestlist follow @WilkinsonUK