16bit – Kissy Sell Out Mix (MediaFire)

Mr Oizo – Flat Beat (16bit Remix) (MediaFire)

16bit seemed to come from nowhere with a chainsaw sampling track which shook dubstep clubs up and down the country. Even Kissy Sell Out, anouncing their mix on his show, admitted he knew virtually nothing about them (which is just lazy research if you ask us).

We tracked them down to find where they’ve from and now that they’re here, what they’re going to be doing next.

In return they gave us their remix of Mr Oizo’s Flat Beat which pumps Flat Eric full of filthy bass. Spread the puppet love.

Can you tell us who you are, how you met and how long you’ve been producing together?

We’s DRT and Kidnappa. We’s been producing together for one year now. We met when we both moved into the Rathouse at Uni.

Why only 16bit? Surely in this digitial age you could have stretched a bit further?

To be honest, we didnt think about the name more than five minutes. We just wanted to go Japan. Plus we thought the lower the bit rate the higher the sound quality, rite… RIIITE?

Following years bubbling under, dubstep is finally blowing up and the audience is growing by the day. Are you surprised at the level of success you’ve had with just your ‘In The Death Car’ EP? Has the support it’s been getting from big name helped open doors for you?

Yer, it’s been fun. In terms of awareness that EP has helped us gain a lot of ground with the guest mix for Kissy Sell Out on Radio One and one coming up for Mary Anne Hobbs. We’ve just done the soundtrack for an iPhone game called ‘Lilt Line’. It’s sick when other creative minds wanna do something with our music. As people’s awareness of our music grows we’re just seeing more and more creative possibilities, we just had a proper jokes photo shoot with Megan Sharp,who’s got some amazing pictures up on her Flickr and we gave her free roam with the concept and she went to town with it. I’m sure you’ll see the results of soon. We just keep making the tunes we love. We got a lot, lot more to come.

It seems to be the wobble that the kids love. What’s your view on the backlash this sound has had in some quarters? And is it possible to make a track nastier and noisier than ‘Chainsaw Caligraphy’? It’s definitely your track which seem to have become most notorious.

Do you hang around in schools? How did you come to be aware of what the kid’s ‘love’?!? [We played at a 16+ rave which is pretty much the same thing.] People get annoyed with wobble stuff cos a lot of it sounds the same. The original point with that stuff was that these were crazy sounds no one had really heard before so if you keep making those same sounds, then obviously that effect is gone, diversify and intensify. That tune made a big impact, I’ve had people calling me up saying they heard it in the car park of Tesco in Southampton or Flying Lotus played it as the last tune and the place went mad. It’s crazy how it’s got about. Outside dubstep, there’s bare filthier tunes, Current Value has many, badman.

What’s next on the production front? Is anything official happening with your ‘Flat Beat’ remix? It’s certainly proved it’s cross-over potential with plays on Radio One who had it on their playlist as being on Ed Banger.

We gots a load of new stuff we’re working on and coming up but we’re never about just throwing stuff out. There’s too many producers in dubstep that just throw everything they make out and if a label wants it then it’s worth putting out. For us, It’s all about quality control. We’d rather put out one sick tune in a year than twenty middle-of-the-road tunes. Our next EP is coming on Southside Dubstars end ofMmay. There’s a tune called ‘Jump!’ on there, one for the summer vibes, gyaldem get your hairs off. We’ve been surprised at the reaction to Flat Beat, we made it as a bit of a joke but as long as people aren’t taking it seriously, it’s all fun house (a whole lot of fun), innit.

In terms of DJing, where has been the best place that you’ve played? Are crowds around Europe or further abroad feeling your sound as much as the UK?

Tokyo. Dark. We been all over really. We love travelling. We’ve got our US tour in June, that’s gonna be immense, looking forward to blowing everything in Vegas.

The club has finished, the ringing in your ears has died down. What do 16Bit listen to when they’ve not DJing or producing?

How long have you got? jeez, we could go for days.

Is dubstep be the new punk? Discuss.

No and no.

Kissy Sell Out Tracklist

1. 16bit – ‘Panic’ (Dub)
2. 16bit – ‘Jump’ (Forthcoming Southside Dubstars)
3. Propa Tingz – ‘Babylon’s Scared’ (16bit remix) (Freakz Of Nature) x 16bit – PCP (Urban Essentials)
4. Mr. Oizo – ‘Flat Beat’ (Dub&Run remix)
5. Torqux – ‘Relentless’ (16bit remix) (Wicky Lindows)
6. Skizm – ‘The Blank’ (16bit remix) (Wicky Lindows)
7. 16bit – ‘Cobra ‘(Forthcoming Southside Dubstars)
8. 16bit – ‘Can You Show Me What Head Is’ (Forthcoming Southside Dubstars)
9. 16bit – ‘In The Death Car”(Boka)
10. 16bit – ‘Chainsaw Calligraphy’ (Boka)

Even more interesting stuff...

16bit have a whole lot of fun on Mary Anne Hobbs – Radio One mix to download
HiJack at We Love… on Sunday – interview and Radio One Kissy Sell Out DJ mix
16bit Mix & Free Download
Download Lee Mortimer Radio One mix with Kissy cussing Andy George’s hair
Exclusive brand new 16bit track to download