What’s happening at the moment?

Frantically trying to get everything done this week before I leave for the tour! I do pretty much everything at the label so I’m always running around like a lunatic.

You celebrated the 5th anniversary of Tsuba last year. What achievement have you been most proud of in that time?

I guess building something from scratch has been quite an achievement. I’m really happy how the label is presented, the music, design, parties so that all makes me proud.

There is a great visual identity to your label and I notice that you just refreshed it recently. That branding and unity to your label output is really important I think. Do you work with one designer in particular or do you steer it?

It’s really important for me personally and in general these days labels need a very strong identity to stand out.

I work with two designers, Pablo Gargano who does Tsuba Colours and Tsuba Limited and Sam Renwick who came up with the new identity. We had long discussions last year about how the label should look & I really wanted vibrant colour and Vinyl to be key features so Sam totally nailed it with the geometric design centred around a Vinyl 12” label.

This also coincided with the new website, which is quite stripped back and clean to let the sleeves provide the colour. Tsuba Limited is more lo-fi and I source all the images which I love doing. I have no practical experience of how to do art or design, but have a very clear idea of how I want things to look.

You started the Tsuba warehouse parties in Feb this year and the next one is in May. I have heard from friends in London that there is a real push to go back to these types of venues again. Why did you decide to start doing them?

These days its important for labels to do parties to showcase what you’re about and make your brand come alive. It’s also a good excuse for a get together with the artists and every party is always a lot of fun. The Feb one was off the hook and despite the freezing conditions outside (-8) people went totally nuts for it.

Is the warehouse party part of a push to make Tsuba more of a platform, rather than just a label? With the state of the industry I imagine that’s important.

Yeah I think so, I’ll always be more into running the label than being a club promoter but I work with a really good guy who also does events for 20:20 vision and poker flat so he brings a lot of expertise and finds these amazing venues.

I know you had a lot of experience in the industry before starting Tsuba but I’m interested to know whether there have been hard lessons learnt since you started?

I guess I’ve been quite fortunate generally, my original distributor went bust owing me money, but apart from that  I’ve not been burnt too badly.

If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Good question. Probably to have started an agency a long time ago, as that’s the missing piece of the jigsaw.

You just released the first album on Tsuba. Was it a big decision to go in that direction?

It was. Its something I’d not done before, so that always makes life interesting, and the music of Tazz really leant itself to something more than a single or EP and I’ll definitely be doing it again.

You’re a regular visitor to Australia so I was wondering if you have much contact with Australian musicians or fans? Any special surprises in store for us this time around?

My wife is Australian so she’s my number one fan . I’m in touch with the Subtrakt guys in Brisbane all the time, we get along famously and have a mutual love of deep house. These days the geography is not so important with skype and all the social networks. I genuinely think some of the best music is coming from Australia at present with mic newman, the carter bros, tornado Wallace. I’m really looking forward to the tour and have many new Tsuba releases to play, music that no-one else has which helps to give me a unique sound.

What are your top 5 tracks right now?

B Tracks ‘Specialize’ (Supply Records)

Okain ‘O’Clock’ (Gerd’s Deep Mix) (Tsuba)

Norm Talley ‘Innerpeace’ (TMR Classics US)

Creative Swing Alliance ‘Mother Water’ (Tsuba Limited)

Drake & Griffiths ‘Steady One’ (White)

What’s coming up this year for you and for Tsuba?

I’ve got another Tsuba warehouse party on 12^th May with Steffi and Huxley so very excited about that. On the production front I’ve just finished a new EP with Justin Drake which I’m really happy with. Then on Tsuba lots of releases, with EP’s from Quell and Okain (plus a killer Gerd mix), a new single from Sascha Dive on Tsuba colours with an unbelievable mix from Virgo Four and then on Tsuba Limited, the vinyl only label, Milton Jackson and Creative Swing Alliance have fantastic EPs, so 2012 is another busy one.

Kevin Griffiths April 2012 Australian Tour

Apr 20 – Fluidlife @ One Six One, Melbourne, Australia
Apr 21 – One 22, Sydney, Australia
Apr 28 – Subtrakt & Metric Boat Party, Brisbane, Australia
Apr 28 – Subtrakt & Metric @ Bar Soma, Brisbane, Australia

Orien brings the deep, dark Dubstep bass madness to Symbiosis in this exclusive mix.

Tracklist

1 : Orien / Symbiosis Intro
2 : Slugs – Talking Bout Gunz (Orien Official Remix)
3 : Strong – Ket Train (Orien- Orienville Remix)(Out Now On Filth)
4 : Subzee D – Zulu Skank (Forthcoming Dub Police)
5 : Orien – Metamorphasis (Tbc)
6 : Orien – Take Me Out Tonight (Forthcoming Heavey Artillery)
7 : Orien – Planet Void (Tbc)
8 : Widowmaker – Ocelot
9 : Orien – Vortex (Tbc)
10 : Orien – Raven Effect (Forthcoming Filth)
11 : Dream – Smash (Out Now On Heavey Artillery)
12 : Orien – Space (Tbc)
13 : Orien & Vixen – Twisted Friction (Tbc)
14 : Orien – The Composition (Tbc)

https://www.facebook.com/ORIENDUBSTEP
http://www.youtube.com/user/oriendubstep

Spanish DJ and Producer, Oscar Mulero is on his way to Australia this month for the first time this month. He was born in Madrid and started DJing all the way back in 1988. After established The Omen Club in Madrid in the early 90s  – which went on to achieve legendary status – he has had appearances all over the world.

Mulero started producing fairly late and released his debut album, Grey Fades To Green, last year on his label Warm Up. His follow up album, Black Propaganda, also on Warm Up, is coming out in July.

We’re very excited to finally have you touring Australia. It seems like you are visiting more countries over the last few years. Has that been something that you have consciously tried to do or is the word travelling about you perhaps?

I have played many countries already but it’s also something that I consciously try. Releasing my last album Grey Fades to Green, readapting my sound and DJ set a bit are factors that probably helps to play more often abroad, I’d say.

Are you bringing your AV set to Australia with you?

No unfortunately I’m not. It would have been great! The ‘Dark and Light’ Av set is designed for big festivals with big stages and apart from me there are 2 person who make part of the show also much extra equipment and this make the long travels too expensive.

Touring countries like Australia for the first time is very different than playing in Europe where you are well known. Is it nice to return to a smaller crowd & club setting again whilst touring?

Yes it nice of course, being honest playing clubs is something that I love and give me good fun. The club is from where I come from and where I grew up as a DJ. Apart from that, in some how is where I feel more free to experiment with my set.

You have been DJing since the late 80s so you have a unique perspective on things. I think that there is a real cyclical rotation in music where styles come and go from fashion. How do you cope with that as an artist and DJ?

Being updated in terms of new producers and labels is something that is part of the job, to investigate and search for the latest news, in my case techno music.

You said recently that you feel Techno is making a come back. Tell us about a high point and a low point for you in your career…

Probably now I’m in the highest point of my career and feel like more better things have to come in near future, as techno seems to be rising up again. And the lowest one maybe 3-4 years ago when techno it wasn’t so popular and it was all that minimal boom.

Your latest album, Grey Fades To Green, is a combination of techno and IDM. What did the album format offer you vs doing singles and remixes over the years?

Well releasing that album it was the right chance to put out more styles apart from the techno I released before, more melodic tracks not only oriented to the dance floor. I’ve been very influenced by 90ies electronic music…, for example records like Selected Ambient Works from Aphex or Amber from Autechre means a lot to me and are part of my influences, so the album it was the right opportunity to let those influences to flow. In few words offered me to feel more free in a creative way

What do you feel when you’re behind the decks? Tell us about some of the best party experiences you have had.

I feel like communicating myself with the crowd through the music I play. Few weekends ago had one of the best nights I had so far at Doornroosje club in Holland, such a great crowd and great feedback. I had good memories of my set in Sandinista club in Yamagata (Japan). it was absolutely great – I could play more advanced beats than I use to do as they were really into it.

Obviously  variety is a big part of your personality with your various production/DJ names. How do you balance out what you want to play?

Well it really depends of some factors – in which club Im going to play, the crowd I’m gonna have, if I’ve play there before and of course the type of set I’ve been requested for.

Oscar Mulero plays at Capacity 260 in Melbourne on 30th March.

From minimalism to melody and back again, Isan have been navigating the aural Autobahn since a chance meeting brought together Robin Saville and Antony Ryan in 1996. With Robin based in Southend on Sea, England and Antony residing in Denmark, they creatively communicate via email, telephone and postcard. Notes are compared and directions assimilated or abandoned, they prefer to allow their sound to develop on its own.

Having recorded for a variety of micro-indies such as Bad Jazz, Static Caravan and Wurlitzer Jukebox, Saville and Ryan now consider Morr Music their spiritual home.

Continually progressing their passion for sound, Isan are not afraid of giving their analogue tone poems space to breathe, placing as much importance on void and silence as on sounds ñ sometimes vibrant and scratchy, sometimes hymnal and opulent. Their sonic design sits somewhere between the D¸sseldorf sounds of Kraftwerk and neu!, the invention of a young Eno and the smart-pop expertise of the Cocteau Twins.

Theyíve remixed and been remixed by the likes of Depeche Mode, The Notwist, Seefeel and Piano Magic amongst others. Isan have also brought their Kosmische confection to the stage, gracing respected festivals such as Sonar and the Big Chill and playing as far afield as China, Japan, Iceland, Russia and Hull*.

*performing to 6 people (including the booker) at the legendary Adelphi.

Releases

Most Recent Release: Eastside Remix EP on Simon Scott’s label “Kesh”
http://kesh.bandcamp.com/album/eastside

Forthcoming Releases: A limited edition vinyl surprise on an Italian label we can’t announce yet, plus working on an album follow-up to “Glow in the Dark Safari Set” on Morr Music

www.isan.co.uk
facebook.com/isanMusic
twitter.com/isan_music
soundcloud.com/isan

Tracklist & Artist Statement

“A little bit about the mix – we recommend headphone listening! The mix is a blend of tracks by several artists and field recordings made by us both separately and also together while were working in Brazil. The field recordings are all treated in some way – so it’s a bit in the “Isan spirit” of working separately and together, creating new things over time and distance.”

00.00 Ringed plovers at Hale Estuary, Cornwall, UK – 20th September 2009
02.41 Sam Prekop – The Silhouettes
07.28 Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall, UK – 25th September 2009
09.26 Dollboy & Sone Institute – Hotel Oriental
11.15 Serafina Steer – Half Robot
12.17 Distant thunderstorm in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – April 2011
14.26 Tape Beatles – O for Frog
15.37 Testing the Dripsophone, Westcliff on Sea, UK – 27th January 2010
16.26 Lucky Dragons – Travelling Song
19.47 The Liberty Morris, Leigh Folk Festival, Essex, UK – 19th June 2011
21.33 Private Conversation, Westcliff on Sea, UK – 9th August 2011
23.12 William Basinski – Melancholia (7)
25.10 Electric Fence – Kattekilde, Denmark – June 2011
26.23 Geotic – Clear Light (The One AM Radio Remix)
29.05 Nighttime in Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – April 2011
32.06 Isan – Eastside (Simon Scott Flame Attire Mix)
37.50 Fredericia City Walls – Fredericia, Denmark – July 2011
41.20 Mimi Majick – Mimi’s Utilities 04
46.20 Early Morning on Oulton Broad, Norfolk, UK – June 2011
49.50 Isan – Lop Helston Conceit

Forensics returns to Symbiosis to showcase his new sounds, bringing his unique blend of deep, dark and minimal dubstep to the mix.

Free Tracks:

http://soundcloud.com/forensics/midnight-planet
http://soundcloud.com/methodology-recordings/forensics-gods-hands

Recent & upcoming releases:

• ‘All In The Mind’ (album) released on Methodology Recordings June 2011
• ‘Last Call’ (with Wrexile) released on a German compilation November 2011
• ‘Emperor’ (with king slaFF) forthcoming on Phantom Hertz Recordings
• ‘Lighthouse’ (with Be-1ne) forthcoming on Dub Injektion Records
• ‘Spirits’ (with Grooki) forthcoming, label TBC

http://soundcloud.com/forensics
http://twitter.com/forensicdubstep
http://forensicdubstep.blogspot.com
http://facebook.com/forensicdubstep
http://myspace.com/forensicdubstep

Tracklisting:

01 : Symbiosis Intro
02 : king slaFF & Forensics – Emperor [forthcoming Phantom Hertz]
03 : Pinch – Blow Out The Candle [forthcoming Tectonic]
04 : Sleeper & District – LV-426 [Chestplate]
05 : K-lone – Something’s Wrong [Unreleased]
06 : Compa – Cold Weather [forthcoming Area]
07 : Digid – The Cause [Unreleased]
08 : Ollie 303 – End Of The World News [Unreleased]
09 : Species – Distance Operation, Infra remix [Shadowforces]
10 : Dcult – Face The Sun [Area]
11 : Skream – Phatty Drummer [Deep Medi]
12 : Killawatt – Critters [Subway]
13 : Biome – Swirls [MUD]
14 : Killawatt – Reason To Worry [New Moon]
15 : Digid – The Void [Unreleased]
16 : Ben Verse – Manipulate [Crunch]
17 : Symbiosis Outro

We’re pumped to host this mix from Royce Rolls. It was recorded 100% live and it’s a bit of a ‘best of 2011′.

I was introduced to Robin around the middle of last year by Cooly G after she signed him to her label Dub Organizer. As you will read in our interview, he is an artist with a lot of experience. From Hip Hop to Dubstep to Theatre – he’s been there! Best of all he became a father last year and his daughter is bringing a new dimension to life.

After a flurry of unofficial remixes and bootlegs NYC label Trouble & Bass gave Royce the nod of approval, posting up his unofficial remix of Supra 1’s I Believe. Back home, BBE records enlisted Rolls for his first official remix of TY’s Heart Is Breaking feat Sway and Roses Gabor. With a solid debut EP release just before the dawn of 2011, Rolls has been busy in the studio creating sounds influenced across the board, from 90s Jungle and Speed Garage through to the latest soundsystem vibes from across the world. Matched with varied production techniques like gritty sample-heavy chops to euphoric synth breakdowns, his sound is hard to pin down.

Check out our exclusive interview with Royce Rolls here and visit these links for more:

http://soundcloud.com/roycerolls
http://twitter.com/djroycerolls
http://www.facebook.com/djroycerollsuk

Look out for more news about the Dub Organizer compilation and mixes from artists on the label over the coming months.

How long have you been producing music for?

Woah.. years man! (laughs).

I mean, I started when I was 13 or 14. Yeah, sort of 14 really. I got my first beatbox. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen one – a Yamaha RM1X.

Oh yeah… wow okay.

Yeah that came out like ‘98/’99 and that was the start when I got that. Before that I was sort of messing around trying to DJ, but I never had decks or anything; I could never really afford them. I wasn’t that interested in DJing straight away, but I sort of DJed in a youth club every week when I was 14.

It was this under age club that was run by a church. It was like an underage rave – it was hilarious! They didn’t have vinyls though they just had CDs – you know the old style like typewriter CD decks. So I used to go down there and DJ with friends.

Before the Yamaha I had a keyboard. I would get frustrated because I’d record down a bass-line and drum on one tape recorder then sort of play it back and maybe record it all on another tape recorder through the mic. That was pretty much it – I could only have a few tracks.

When I got this little Yamaha thing it just kind of exploded for me really man. For a month I was just on it every night after school and the whole weekend. I was just trying to learn everything on there. It didn’t sample or anything – it was just a synth basically with a sequencer.

Then I made a tape and I played it to some of my friends in school and they were like “cool, cool” and whatever. I was like: “Who do I give this to? Who do I take this music to?”

Back then, I wasn’t even burning CDs – it was on minidisk or something like that. I mean, I couldn’t make loads of demos and send them to people. I just had a few tapes and being a kid in Teesside I couldn’t just walk down to the Sony offices in London!

So I took this tape back to the guy [Mike] who sold me that bit of kit. I was like, “it was kind of your fault that I made this!” (laughs)

Mike kind of laughed at me and told me to come back at lunch so he could have a little listen.

I was really into Jungle and Drum n Bass but I couldn’t sample on the Yamaha. Obviously ninety percent of Drum n Bass and Jungle back then was all sample based with the Amen Breaks and everything, so I just couldn’t get that sound. So my tape was all kind of like housey trance stuff.

Anyway, I went back and he was like, “Wow man! I can’t believe you’ve come back in a few weeks with a demo like this, you’re just a kid!”

He told me to get in touch ‘cause he managed local artists and he was part of a band. He introduced me to scratch DJ K-Delight who I kind of half knew because I had heard of him in the area. I think he’s well known in the Australian Hip Hop scene.

So by 15 I had a major label knocking on my door for one of these trance tunes! Mike had sent it off to a lot of people and got local DJ’s to test demos in clubs around the North East. Then he came to see my mum – he didn’t want to manage me straight away, just like help me out.

So once or twice a week after school, when I was 14 or 15, I would go to this guy’s house. He had a home studio and he would just teach me how to do stuff basically; like compression and mixing down properly.

Mike had a singer who’s kid was big – it was actually Zoe Birkett. If you go back to the original 1st UK Pop Idol, she came third and is now a singer on the West End! She’s from my end and we made a couple of tracks together. We were like 14 or 15.

So what happened with the major label interest?

They didn’t realize how old I was. Mike sort of a passed a lot of my demos out but was keeping it quiet of how old I actually was. He didn’t want anyone to think anything straight off. So yeah, they started sniffing around and they sort of freaked when they realised how old I was.

My mum didn’t really want me to sign anything or get involved until I could handle it myself and after I had finished school and stuff. To be honest, they also lost a lot of interest when they found out I wasn’t old enough to go and DJ in a club and promote it. At the same time it was a good little confidence thing. I suppose that was the point when I realized that music might be a thing for me.

Confidence is really important when you’re starting out…

Yeah, definitely. This guy Mike really helped me out and gave me loads of confidence. But by 16 I sort of moved out of the area and just really lost touch with him.

I moved down to the Leeds/York area to go to music college just after my GCSEs. Then I sort of started a new chapter and got more heavily into Drum and Bass, Breaks and UK Hip Hop at that time. I was at Leeds College of music from 2000 to 2002.

Did anyone mentor you in those days? What type of music were you producing? Yeah there was a lot of great people at LCM, and although I was mainly studying Performance and Jazz during the day, I used to hang out a lot with the Degree and HND music tech students when I could. A couple of guys really helped me out; one was doing releases for LTJ Bukem’s label Good Looking, and I used to hang out round his studio in Chapeltown, where he also introduced me too Jerk Chicken and Jamacian food as well (laughs). He taught me all I needed to know about sampling and convinced me to get a decent sampler. He also gave me a retro-fitted 4 meg Atari ST to go with it for sequencing.

Then another guy Andy P who was involved in the Breakbeat scene; he gave me my first sets in Leeds at his own night where I would play out live on the RM1X and sampler, as I still didn’t own my own decks; all my spare cash at this time was going on studio gear.

That early gig led to loads more and I also ended up doing bits for some of the biggest promoters in Leeds at the time. I got more into promotions through this as well and learnt from a lot of great people and also got to meet loads of great artists from all over as well as Leeds, like DJ E.A.S.E [Nightmares on Wax], Ed Rush Iration Steppas, DJ Die, Utah Saints, Groooverider, Coldcut, Fingathing, MC Verse and so many more it was a great time. I even got given a mid-week night to help organize. I was keeping the age hush hush though (laughs). I still wasn’t quite legal.

You were saying before that your first demo came out totally differently from the type of style you intended to make. Do you think that type of ‘happy accident’ is a major part of producing music?

Its was more down to the limitations of the gear I had at the time, which in a way pushed me harder and I learnt more tricks and the ins and out of what I had at the time. I remember trying to make the Amen break on GM Midi drums and never really getting it right but I learnt a lot from doing it (laughs) I just worked with what I had at the time and the strengths of the equipment which was mainly House and Trance style sounds even though I was really burning to get the Jungle sound but couldn’t do that till a few years later when I finally got a sampler. The whole game has changed though since I first started with everyone being able to pretty much make what they want using plug-ins and a laptop, but I still find the best accidents happen when the hardware comes out. I’ve had quite a few producers come round the studio to find my plug-in folders pretty much bare (laughs), I am still mainly on hardware and sample based for synth’s and sounds. I think limitations can bring out the creativity and mixed with a few happy accidents like when the Midi goes wrong or the Roland hasn’t warmed up properly, will always produce something no-ones heard before.

I can hear from your tracks that you have been producing for a long time and that you have a good technical knowledge. How did you learn?

Mainly from the people I’ve been lucky enough to meet along the way; especially back in the early days with Mike, at college, and when I was at Uni hanging out in Ed Solo’s and other peoples studios in Brighton. I didn’t really take a course involving production till I got to University at 18; so the four years up till then it was just self experimentation with whatever equipment I could find and just learning from others that were willing to help.

What advice would you give to budding producers and people wanting to learn?

Just get involved, find out who’s doing things in your area and in most cases people are happy to help if you help out too. I’ve made a lot of tea, carried a lot of records about, handed a lot of flyers, helped move a label office and re-fit studios, but I’ve always got so much back in the way of knowledge and skills back then. I would also say learn the basics whether its synthesis, sampling or whatever it will make getting round all those colourful plug-ins a lot easier if you understand the processes going on in the background, and will definitely help if you make it into a big studio. And just believe in your self and your sound; I would probably say that’s one of the most important, you need to create your “own” sound even if your taking influences from other artists. Plus that said at the same time don’t get caught up in your own hype if things suddenly explode at whatever level you’ve got to keep the balance.

Tell us about some of your ‘ups and downs’ since you started?

Wow deep one! (laughs)

It’s a funny old game. Like any business there’s up and downs, sharks in the water, and mistakes to be made and things to be learnt from those experiences. This kind of links back to keeping the balance. (laughs)
Some of the early “ups” were the early Major interest and writing and performing some music with the RM1X live for a show in the Millenium Dome in 2000; I also wrote some dance music for another theatre production in Teesside about the same time, meeting and performing with Jazzy B (Soul to Soul) for the opening in Stockton, and generally my whole experiences at College in Leeds and Uni in Brighton.

After Uni I played some of my biggest shows ever as a touring Scratch DJ playing with Busta Ryhmes to tens of thousands in Africa, hosting Portugal’s version of the DMC’s plus other gigs in Europe and further a field.

I’ve also got so much out of the teaching and workshop based work I’ve been involved with. One thing I’ll always remember was teaching a 13 yr old how to make his first “wobble” bass-line using the LFOs; the look he gave me when it clicked was priceless.

There’s always a balance though and I would say some of the downs were when the Hip Hop bubble burst and a lot of work dried up for me mainly due to not having any control over what I was doing just being the beat-maker and crew DJ.

There was a point where I didn’t even go into the studio for nearly two years just out of frustration with what was going on at the time. Up until recently, I would trust someone with their word, until out of the blue they tried to get their major and lawyers to sue me over a simple miscommunication.

Another close friend of mine recently got his track ripped off by another big name after he supported them and played out his track thinking they would rep it, not rip it. I think that affected him deeply for a little while too.

But yeah, you just have to rise above it and keep doing your thing. I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for all the experiences that I have had. Positive or negative, it’s all game. (laughs)

What have you learnt from that and what approach do you take now?

I’ve learnt a huge amount from all those experiences and maybe for a moment I let some of them affect me. I think I am a lot wiser than I was, and as far as passion and love for the music, that’s only got stronger in the last couple of years. I think there’s always a trick or two to learn everyday though, anyone who thinks they know it all is either not human or just lying (laughs).

I think my approach is a lot wider and more open than maybe it was back in the day.

What does being signed to Cooly G’s label, Dub Organizer, mean to you?

Oh man, so many things!

I am really excited about this year and the link up with Cooly G and Dub Organizer. It has been on the cards most of 2011 so there’s a lot of anticipation building up, but yeah its going to blow the roof off (laughs).

We first got chatting when she’d heard a demo from me and that was it, we just kind of clicked musically and it was go from then on. It’s been hard to link up as it’s been busy times but I recently went out to Switzerland to play electronics on her new live show at Switch festival.

Cooly has also lined up other amazing artists and DJ’s for the label, on top of her already being repped by some of the biggest names in the game; its exciting times and definitely means a lot.

What releases have you got coming out this year?

The first Dub Organizer compilation is coming very soon with my track Avalon Riddim featuring on that. Then two EP’s are following on Dub Organizer, the Listen EP and Battle 4 LDN EP, I am really excited about these two – can’t wait for them to drop. There’s also talk of another Dub Organizer compilation coming later in the year too.

I’ve also got a double A side coming soon on WW called Avalanche Riddim with a remix pack to follow. This ones been waiting for over a year for release, and again I am really excited for this to finally drop.

I’ve written two EP’s this summer with another producer and old friend Rogue State. One is based round the 130/140 sound which might be coming with their own label R8 Records, and one is a UK Moombahton sound featuring Bongo Chilli, aka Peppery, City Culture and long time Ragga MC Deebo General.

Last but not least, look out for a remix on Whistla’s (SubFm) L2S label coming soon as well.

So what are your other plans for 2012?

It’s going to be a hectic one with the music this year, but I’ve got plans to set up a small clothing label with my partner, something I’ve been banding about for years.

On the personal side I just want to be there and support my little girl. She’s the new big thing and a total inspiration to everything I do now. Having her has been a huge learning curve in itself. The next generation is here! (laughs)

I also do a bit of Mountain Biking and would love to go back and do the Mega Avalanche this year, but we’ll see, it needs a lot of planning and was a big challenge when I did it a few years back. It was the most dangerous and craziest thing I’ve ever done outside of the rave. (laughs)

Whatever happens this year it’s going to be fun.

Royce Rolls – Best of 2011 Live Mix – Tracklist

1. Royce Rolls – Battle 4 LDN (prt I) “Exclusive”
2. Mosca – Bax
3. Julio Bashmore – Battle For Middle You
4. 2 Bit Thugs – Hacienda
5. Purpl Pop – The Way [T.L.G.B Dub Edit]
6. Didz – Invaded “Exclusive”
7. Dutty Dan – Movin It Large “Exclusive”
8. Royce Rolls “v” Robin S – Why Dont U Show Me Love
9. Rogue State & J Vandal – The Chant “Exclusive”
10. Myth Rychards – Twisted Techno Wheel “Exclusive”
11. Royce Rolls – Electric People “Exclusive”
12. Crystal Zulu – One Man Island “Exclusive”
13. Karin Park – Tiger Dreams [Photek remix]

http://soundcloud.com/roycerolls
http://twitter.com/djroycerolls
http://www.facebook.com/djroycerollsuk

Melbourne DJ and producer, Same O, hits the decks for Symbiosis 81. As part of the Too Much! crew he has been putting on some of Melbourne and Australia’s most forward thinking parties for the last few years.

This mix finds him in fine form and exploring a different side of his tastes.

“This mix has been done completely with Symbiosis in mind. I thought I would try and show how I have progressed as a DJ and the sorts of things I am listening to at the moment. I wanted to feature tunes that just fit nicely together rather than trying to pack the mix full with new tunes, some of the tunes are particularly old but I think this shows the kind of point that dance music is at. A lot of the older Detroit and Chicago sounding stuff is completely at home with this whole sort of UK House/Bass/Techno (whatever you call it) thing happening at the moment. I also decided that I wouldn’t put any of my tunes in the mix and would leave that to the next mix done under the Donalds House monicker which is done by myself and my brother.” – Same O

Tracklist

01 – Marc Romboy & Stephan Bodzin – Atlas
02 – Marshal Jefferson vs. Noosa Heads – Mushrooms (Justin Martin Remix)
03 – This Is Something – Coat Of Arms
04 – Claude VonStroke and J Philip – California (Julio Bashmore Remix)
05 – Claude VonStroke – Who’s Afraid Of Detroit
06 – Dark Sky – Neon
07 – Jacques Greene – Tell Me (Kingdom Edit)
08 – Sepalcure – Every Day Of My Life (Jimmy Edgar Remix)
09 – Boddika – Grand Prix
10 – Boddika – Rubba
11 – Crystal Fighteres – In The Summer (Shortstuff Remix)
12 – Jam City – Magic Drops
13 – Jamie Foxx – Can I Take You Home (Lucid Bootleg)
14 – Lunice – I See U (Girl UNIT Remix)
15 – Brenton – RDI (Girl UNIT Remix)
16 – Mosca – Bax
17 – Y-Tribe – Durex
18 – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell

Andy Vaz returns to Symbiosis to celebrate the release of his new album. Check out his laid back mix for Symbiosis.

No tracklist

Check out Andy’s new LP, Straight Vacationing on Yore Records.

Soundorom is on his way to Australia for the first time this month. He is playing shows with fellow Circo Loco resident Matthias Tanzmann in Perth and Sydney, then playing on Cup Day at Lucky Coq in Melbourne. Chatting with him in Ibiza, it feels like Soundorom is extremely comfortable with his popularity and the pressure that brings. He has just played the closing party for Circo Loco and ended the Ibiza Summer party season on a high point.

“It was super nice! It was really packed actually. I have the feeling that it was the busiest closing that I have played but every year I say that!” he laughs.

Growing up in Paris, Soundorom first discovered House music through his brother. “Originally, and most of the time where I find my inspiration, I listen to quite a lot of hip hop but its like older stuff, you know. I had no idea about like house and techno and I only knew what was dance at that time because I was watching TV. I guess I knew all these things like famous dance tracks, like Black Box or Robin S it was like the music at that time and I knew what was dance you know. Then my brother came back with this tape and it was like a lot of techno on that tape but I was not really into it.”

That mix tape set the seed though. Discovering one track and following the trail, Soundorom made some great contacts.: “There was a track on there that I fell in love with and I start to research. Then I discovered more about this music and I started to go out! The funny story is that I started to discover this club called Les Bains Douches in Paris where David Guetta was the owner of the club. I was just hanging out there, some of the music was good but it was like not exactly totally my style, and I was just going out there every weekend.”

It’s true that luck plays a huge role. “Then one weekend David came over to me and he said, ‘I’ve been watching you for the last few weeks and I like how you behave and how you talk to people. I want you to be like PR for me.’ I was like 17 and I didn’t have any idea what PR means that time you know and he said, ‘I want you to bring like 20 people to the club and stuff like that.’ So well, at the same time I was still going at school you know and he said, ‘Yeah well, I pay you to this you just have to bring 20 people and let’s see what happens you know.’”

It was Soundorom’s big break: “I did this and that time I start to really get into music and start to buy records. Then after six months of doing this he gives me my own party and this is exactly the time I met Dan Ghenacia. He was the resident at Batofar and I asked him to play at my party. This is where everything started properly like music-wise – I was starting to buy a lot of records and starting to play at my own party.”

Ghenacia owns Freak n Chic and also Lola Ed. He gave Soundorom his first release and took him under his wing. “I did this party for like two years and it worked pretty well,” continues Soundorom. “The good thing was that we didn’t have the same taste of music with David Guetta but he totally let me like do my thing because he wanted to do one night different in his club. So we like pretty good friends and we found a way to work together which was cool. Then after two years of organising that party I stopped and I totally focused on music.”

“I was starting to play around in Paris but it took me a bit more time to play in different countries. I was not producing at that time – you know how it works! But Dan has been truly a help for me. He always supports me and he has given me the power to focus on music. It’s been a long process but its just a beautiful story so it’s like when I go back to the past, where I’ve been to and where I am now. it’s super cool.”

So has moving from more underground parties to the point where his popular status put him in the top 100 DJs for 2010 on Resident Advisor created difficulties with his sets? “I don’t think I’ve any reason to change or for looking to like seduce more people you know. I think if you are true to yourself, well you have to refresh yourself sometime, but I think if you are true to yourself people will follow. People need to see that you’re enjoying what you do so if you’re true to yourself I think its the only way. This is the way I see but I don’t think you need to be trying to play more what they expect.”

Ultimately, Soundorom plays music with wide appeal. “I like to play like that groovy kind of music in a way so I guess maybe that’s why people are enjoying it, you know. I mean groovy can be can be dark, can be like vocal or whatever, it doesn’t mean a lot. I dont know, I just think you just have to be true to yourself.”

Soundorom has a label in the works with Ghenacia and Shonky, Apollonia. “We are going to be ready at the end of the year or somewhere early in January. The main idea is just to have a platform to release our music but we’re going to put out music from the other people also. It’s just like a strong friendship and its like we are sharing the same taste of music and the same musical vision.”

“I am super excited about the tour to Australia! Music wise I’ve been doing a lot of remixes in the last year but now I want to focus on my own music. I just wanna finish a couple of remixes that I am working on which are really exciting. There is lots on!”

Stefan Panczak, aka Inch-time, might have swapped the environs of Adelaide for the hustle and bustle of London, but it’s a move he’s glad he made. Since releasing his earliest records back in 2003, Inch-time has quietly forged an irrepressible niche which has taken on a life of its own.

His subtle melding of gleaming electronica and a whole host of other ingredients – from dub to folk textures, and languid jazz stylings to post-rock atmospheres – has evolved to take in new elements while sticking to the unique approach which Panczak has made his signature since his debut album, 2005’s Any Colour You Like.

In this exclusive mix for Symbiosis, Panczack shares some of the sounds that have been rocking his world lately and, in our chat below, he reveals more about his artistic practise.

“I’ve been doing a lot of mixes recently, as I do a monthly mix for my record label podcast. These mixes have tended to be quite dense and planned out around a particular theme, and mixed in Logic i.e. not live. So for this mix I decided to do something more spontaneous. I’ve been delving back in house music a lot over the past 12 months so I made a mix the old-school way, just two turntables and a mixer. It’s a mix of of some of my favourite house tracks, old and new. Plus I slipped in some Mount Kimbie to finish. They’re a great example of the whole post-dubstep genre-mixing sound that’s exploding in London right now.”

Tracklist:

1. John Roberts – Ever Or Not
2. Lawrence – Treacle Mine
3. Rhythm & Sound – Poor People Must Work (C2 Remix)
4. Appleblim & Ramadanman – Sous Le Sable
5. Secondo – Doktor Pangloss
6. Axel Boman – Purple Drank
7. Ben Nevile – Vancouver And Fairfield (Sutekh Remix)
8. The XX – VCR (Four Tet Remix)
9. Pepe Bradock – Ghost
10. STL – Jungle Sometimes
11. Mount Kimbie – Carbonated

Recorded at my mate Ross’s flat, London. Feb 12, 2011.

mysteryplaysrecords.com
soundcloud.com/mystery-plays-records

It has been around 8 years since your first record, and 6 since your first album. There has been a wonderful progression and maturation in your sound since then. What are some key lessons you have learnt along the way?

I started making music using a hardware sampler and very rudimentary computer. Since then computers and software have evolved at an incredible pace so now you can do everything on your laptop. In fact, the possibilities can rapidly become overwhelming.

I think it’s very easy to get lost in possibilities now. Because of this I set limitations on how I make my music. From these limitations it is actually easier to produce music because it gives you set choices to make instead of endless ones.

The Floating World was made in my home studio. As the acoustics in my music room are so bad I mainly reverted to constructing tracks using only headphones for listening. This automatically predetermines the end result of the music produced. If you are sitting at a desk listening in headphones the music you make will naturally tend to become quite introspective, just from your posture at the desk and the insular listening experience of using headphones.

For my new album that I am working on I made the decision to hire a studio and work solely on my music in that environment. The studio has an amazing sound system which makes the sound physical and alive. The fact that I can walk around the studio still listening to the song and play the various instruments as I go means the music making becomes spontaneous and intuitive.

Tell us about the creation of your last album. You mentioned in your bio that it was inspired by Ukiyo-e!

The inspiration for the album came from the Japanese art movement Ukiyo-e which translates as ‘Pictures From The Floating World’. It was an art movement centred around capturing ephemeral moments such as a beautiful view, a market place in Spring or a gust a wind blowing off passer-by’s hats.

Readers may be familiar with the famous woodblock prints by Hokusai or Hiroshige showing different views of Mount Fuji or The Great Wave of Kanagawa. These artworks really took me into this alternate, exotic world which I used as a starting point for the creation of the songs on the album.

There is a real organic feel in your music that is quite hard to come by nowadays. Do you get comments on that regularly? What part of your approach creates that feel in your opinion?

Yes, people do comment on that a lot! I think it’s for two reasons. Firstly I use a lot of real world instruments in my songs. Either sampled or played live such as acoustic guitar and piano. I also spend a lot of time when producing my songs making sounds and samples sound ‘real’. So I will carefully take out glitches and abrupt noise drops so the instruments sound like they are being played live.

You have released the album on your own imprint, Mystery Plays Records. What are your plans with the label?

The label is a home for my music and in the future I plan to release other like-minded artists. At the moment I am busy promoting the album, playing shows and busy in the studio working on the follow up.

I have a few artists working on music which will be released on the label but this may not be until next year. I’m in no rush to do too many releases. I’d prefer each one to be very special. Both in the music and physical package.

Do you perform live or DJ much at the moment? What sort of form does a live Inch-time show take?

I’m not DJing much at the moment but plan to get back into this very soon. I do miss playing records out to a crowd.

I’m playing live quite a bit in London at the moment to support the new album. I am two thirds of the way through a trio of “Mystery Plays Presents” shows at Cafe Oto in Dalston, an amazing jazz bar in east London. So far we’ve hosted AM/PM, Icarus and Badun.

In July I’ll be playing at the Open Art Festival in Poland. I’m really looking forward to this gig as I’ll also get to see Jan Jelinek play live. His music has been a real inspiration to me. My live show is laptop based. Just me, the computer and a midi controller that allows me to perform and “remix” my tracks live. I’m working into incorporating some visuals and more hardware into my set. The great thing with programs like Ableton and Max is that they really allow you to perform your songs live and intuitively.