MUMDANCE INTERVIEW

For those people unfamiliar with your name, can you sum up your musical style?

DJ wise I play bass driven music…. loads of different genres, loads of different tempos. I quite like the term polyrhythms & bass which I heard Tayo use a while ago so I adopted (half inched) it. Production wise, I’m still finding my sound. I really like making all my tracks sound different, I’m sure when I find a formula that works (get lazy) I will stick with it and churn out 7 below par tracks a day

Your remix of Radioclit’s Secousse has just hit the shops – what’s been the most interesting project you’ve worked on recently?

I just remixed a song called Kalise by this guy called El Guincho who is from Barcelona, all the lyrics were in Spanish. So I got the lyrics translated to English, then got a Grime MC called Ice Kid to do a 16 bar on the same subject as the song & throw in loads of Barcelona references, I’m really happy with it. I’ve also just remixed Evil Nine’s next single which was interesting as I have always loved Evil Nine and I got to have a really close look at the way they make music

Do you find that you have a set way of approaching the tracks that you work on?

Usually the music I make will nod towards the genres or vibe that I’m feeling at that moment in time. Before making a track I’ll tend to spend a couple of days just listening to a load of music until I kinda form an idea in my head. Then when I sit down to make the track I go through a cycle of about an hour or so of productivity, to about 4 hours of messing around and getting pissed off.

Out of all the DJs/Producers you’ve encountered, who has impressed you most and why?

Such a tough question………..Musically, I think Buraka Som Systema are doing some really exciting things at the moment. I also think Spor has a scary amount of talent as a producer. DJ wise Friction has Smashed it every time that I have seen him. 3 deck business. Oh yeah……keep an eye out for the Future Bass crew – Tomb Crew / Oneman / Bok Bok / Manara & Lvis 1990 (& me) we are doing a UK tour soon

Can we expect to see any collaborations in the future?

I’m currently writing an EP of original material and I’m putting out feelers for vocalists to work with… in talks about getting some transatlantic collabos happening, I just want to really step it up in the coming months

How easy do you find it to balance DJing, producing and the day job?

It was all getting a bit much so I just took the leap & currently music is my profession and only source of income (which is pretty scary)

Can you give us a run down of the tunes at the front of your box right now?

RIP Groove by Double 99 is an essential track and has been for going on ten years now. Of late, Message is Love by Silverlink ft Jammer & Badness is doing a lot. Also Sinden has remixed this track called Tigerstyle by Vybes Cartel which is massive & No Money for Guns by High Rankin will literally demolish any dancefloor

What can we find you doing over the next few months?

I’m moving from Brighton to London in the first week of September then locking myself away in my new flat / studio & getting paler and paler and paler while writing this EP and seeing no sunlight ever.

In a straight up Superhero Royal Rumble, who would your money be on?

Chuck Norris

And finally…..what’s your least favourite mode of transport?

Lordy, probably like upstairs on the bus when all the big boys are being scary

If that has whetted your appetite and you want a taste of Mumdance's production skills then head for www.myspace.com/chewthefatuk where you can download two of his tracks absolutely free of charge!!

MORE ALEX METRIC

ALEX'S SUMMER MIX:

http://www.thefatclub.com/music/alexmetricsummermix.mp3

So Alex, what's been going since last we spoke?

Ive been running around busy as hell! Trying to juggle remixes, my album and a busy DJ schedule has been tricky. But ive managed to fit it all in. since last time I played the end ive doen some great album tracks, lots of  remixes, finished the Freeland record and played the gig of my life at the Exit festival in Serbia.

You've been hard at work doing a lot of high profile remixes recently, which are you most happy with?

I'm really happy with all of this batch of mixes actually. Sometimes you love some  more than others but with this run I've tried to do something different with every remix. It would very easy to fall into a trap of going through the motions and having a bog standard remix sound and template. (as some people are very guilty of) I like to have a distinct vibe with every one. So I guess the Alphabeat mix is a personal favourite. It's only 112bpm but rocks hard out. I'm not sure whether people will have the balls to drop it.. we'll see! The Infadels mix turned out really well too. Epic as hell! The Treasure Fingers mix is fun.. gah I like em all for different reasons.

What's the best gig you've played this year and why?

Exit festival. Amazing amazing amazing. I played to a packed arena of 15,000 people before Tiga and Soulwax. It was the biggest crowd I've ever played to. And they were so receptive, lapped up every record. I tried out some new album tracks and they went down a storm. Such an amazing vibe there, great setting and a great crowd. The perfect gig. Theres some videos on my myspace to see my view into the crowd.

Other than the usual software and hardware, what do you consider to be a 'studio essential'?

Bad 80's records.

The falling cost of production software and cheap machines means that more and more people are turning to producing. Is this a good thing, or is the scene in danger of being overly diluted?

I think theres already a huge amount of crap music out there, such is the way in the digital age. Where before there were a certain number of checkpoints and artists had to get through to get a release... A&R men, label bosses, distributors, mastering houses, now people can bounce a track out of logic and have it on Beatport the next week. Which means there is a lot more shit out there but at the same time there's a lot of amazing music being made too. And I firmly believe the good stuff always rises to the surface.

Are you any closer to your Keytar dream for your live show?

Well, the album is nearer being finished. And that's got to be done before I take the live show out. the albums taken on a new vibe in this second half of writing for it. The first sessions I did ended up quite poppy and  80's , now its going epic and emotional. Theres going to be a great mix of songs to choose from. I'm finding my feet vocally with every track I do too, really enjoying exploring that. Even gone full falsetto on one tune! Choir boy stylee haha

Do you feel the much lauded ‘credit crunch' has had any impact on the world of dance music as a whole?

I haven't noticed it much. Gigs still seem to be busy, long may I not feel it!

And finally......can you recommend us a cocktail, and describe how best to make it?

No shit.. this is our Glastonbury cocktail. Beware, if you drink this it will turn you into a twat. A bad version of yourself. And don't drink it in a car while your friend is driving. Bad things happen!

Energon:

Get an empty litre bottle. Fill it with:

1/3 cheap vodka

1/3 Blue WKD

1/3 Redbull

drink it and get ready for the sugar caffeine booze rush of your life. Also worth noting Mega Energon can be made by replacing Redbull with Redsquare.

SEPT INFO

CHEW THE FAT!

@ THE END, LONDON

Friday 12^th September

11pm - 6am

TOUCHE - After tearing the roof off as one half of The Black Ghosts in August, Southern Fried resident Touche returns to The End under his solo guise.  Expect another round of electro-indie-disco cross-over with his unique mash-up slant on popular club music that has seen remixes emerging for everyone from Craig David & Chromeo to The Dub Pistols & Kissy Sell Out.
www.myspace.com/touchelondon

BOBMO - This fresh producer on the French electro scene was recently snapped up by Parisian imprint Institubes (home to Curses! , Surkin & Para One) and has been quick to release a raft of singles including his latest - ‘3000% Yes'.  Bobmo takes a break from his North American tour with Jean Nipon to showcase his Gallic disco talents at Chew The Fat!
http://www.myspace.com/bobmo

ALEX METRIC - No stranger to the main room, Alex is back at The End with a new remix under his belt for The Infadels and a brand new EP on the horizon for Adam Freeland's label - Marine Parade.  Glitched-up, eyebrow-searing, rock-tinged guitaronica is the name of the game and Metric is right up there at the top of it...
http://www.myspace.com/alexmetric

BOY 8 BIT -  This pioneer of the lo-fi, wonky house sound is firmly cemented amongst the Machines Don't Care fraternity alongside such luminaries as Herve, Trevor Loveys, Fake Blood, Toddla T & Sinden.  He has already released tracks & remixes on a clutch of cool labels that include Modular, Trouble & Bass, Mad Decent & Skint and his latest single ‘The Suspense Is Killing Me' was described by iDJ as ‘an electronic masterpiece..' - bring on the Commodore 64!

http://www.myspace.com/boy8bit

BADLANDS - Having smashed the Red Box at We Love..Chew The Fat! (Space, Ibiza) in July for a second year running & riding off the success of the last 2 remixes on Fat! & Sinister respectively, Alexei Lee from wonky tech production duo ‘Badlands' brings his jump-up sound back to London for spot at September's Chew The Fat!
http://www.myspace.com/badlandsspace

Resident KID BLUE, takes a break from entertaining the Space crowd in Ibiza to celebrate the full release of his double A - Way Back / Ultimate Orange on Fat! Records...

EDEN COLLECTIVE PRESENTS...

South London party throwers - The Eden Collective return to the lounge bringing with them an element of old-skool, baltimore and bass with Institubes label resident KAZEY headlining alongside bassline connoisseur - MUMDANCE, who has recently made his name with re-works of RadioClit's ‘Secousse‘ and SantoGold's ‘Creator‘ (currently featuring on the new Mad Decent mixtape).

http://www.myspace.com/mumdance

http://www.myspace.com/kazey1
http://www.edencollective.co.uk/