Blackdub Podcast #9 feat. Gareth Hocking [Curves Newcastle], Deficit [AutomAte DNB] & J(ay).A.D [Liquorish Dubz]

It's podcast time again and this one is long-overdue so we've brought you a special three hour extravaganza covering all the bases from sublimely minimal to teched-out rinse outs, as well as some Footwork style Jungle infused beats.

First up is a cornerstone of the Newcastle Bass music scene, Gareth Hocking who is reknowned for being able to mix pretty much anything from Dancehall to Breaks and Dubstep to Jungle. We've managed to get a Drum & Bass set out of him and it doesn't disappoint!

The second hour brings AutomAte D&B head-honcho, Deficit to the fray with more razor sharp beats and bass, quick mixing and an admirable attention to detail. He's gone in deep with this and further cements why we've been supporting this fledgling label since its inception last year.

Lastly we have Amsterdam based Footwork soldier, Jay (A.D) coming with a diverse blend of dark Footwork, Juke and fresh Drum & Bass as well as some of his own productions which you can hear on Amsterdam imprint, Liquorish Dubz, Groundmass Records and the recently released 'Mad13' compilation, which is available as a free download from the Mad Hop Bandcamp page.

We'll have interviews up with all of this month's guests in due course and  as always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy the show!

Tracklist:

Gareth Hocking In The Mix:

Synkro :: Progression (Indigo Remix) [Exit Records]

dBridge :: Death Of A Drum Machine [R&S Records]

Blade & Arp-1 :: Lithuanian Beauty [Fokus Recordings]

Stereotype :: Mars One [Disturbed Records]

Against :: Afterlife [Shopopalo]

Alix Perez :: We Could Have Been feat. D.Ablo [Shogun Audio]

dBridge & Skeptical :: Move Way [R&S Records]

Serial Killaz :: One More Time [FBK VIP]

Craggz & Parallel :: Invasion [Yabai 84]

Hybris :: Understand Now [Dispatch Recordings]

Enei :: The Bonebreaker [Critical Music]

Cyantific :: Hold Back [CYN Music]

Aquasky vs. Crash Berlin :: Movin' The Hype Track feat. Kool Keith (Cyantific Remix) [Passenger]

Enei & Emperor :: Liberation [Critical Music]

Chroma :: Knock Knock [CIA Records]

Fracture :: Gangbusters [Meatlheadz]

Chroma :: Intermission [CIA Records]

DJ SS :: Lighter (1999 Mix) [Formation Records]

Deficit In The Mix:

Wreckless :: Face Of The Deep feat. Just Some Guy [Peer Pressure]

>>>> Wreckless :: Peace feat. Rob Cole [Peer Pressure]

Origin Unknown :: Truly One [Ram Records]

Cern :: Apparition [Samurai Music]

Codex :: Vodun [Tribe 12]

>>>> Antagonist :: Cult [Dust Audio]

Ruffhouse & Clarity :: Persecute [Critical Modulations]

Ruffhouse :: Bypass [Ingredients Reecords]

Origin Unknown :: Sound In Motion [Ram Records]

>>>> Raiden :: Roentgen [Architecture]

SpectraSoul :: Light In The Dark feat. Terri Walker [Shogun Audio]

Philth :: Submarine [AutomAte]

Anile :: Induction [Deep Soul Music]

Fearful & Keosz feat. Black Louis :: Scars [Citrus Recordings]

Fuj :: Pressure Plates [AutomAte Deep Dub]

Luxor :: I Want To Live [AutomAte Deep Dub]

Rockwell :: My War [Shogun Audio]

Vince Grain :: Roswell Eyewitness [AutomAte]

Raiden :: Baptism Of Fire [Voodoo Music]

>>>> ModeBlue :: Near East [AutomAte Deep]

Raiden :: Danzon [Voodoo Music]

Xtrah :: Soundclash [Critical Music]

>>>> Future Cut :: Ghetto Style (Evol Intent Remix) [Renegade Hardware]

>>>> Paradox :: A Certain Sound (Drumworx VIP Remix) [Renegade Hardware]

Fon :: Mistaken Coincidence [AutomAte Dub]

Fresh :: Signal [Ram Records]

Arclight :: Pluroform [AutomAte Tech]

Bad Company UK :: 4 Days [BC Recordings]

>>>> Bad Company UK :: The Nine [BC Recordings]

>>>> Concord Dawn :: Raining Blood [Renegade Hardware]

Jay (A.D) In The Mix:

Wellbelove :: Planq Time [Unknown]

Wellbelove :: GlitterBoy [Unknown]

Graphs :: Catabasis [Unknown]

Pawn :: Your Words [Forthcoming Shoot Recordings] 

DJ Nate :: Back Down [Planet Mu]

DJ Nate :: Make 'Em Run [Planet Mu]

Chrissy Murderbot :: The Original [Forthcoming Shoot Recordings] 

DJ Nate :: Hatas Our Motivation [Planet Mu]

DJ Diamond :: Perk 2012 [Liquorish Dubz] 

J(ay).A.D :: Chakra [Groundmass Records] 

J(ay).A.D :: Woah [Groundmass Records] 

 Dub Phizix & Skeptical :: Marka feat. Strategy [Exit Records]

Clarity :: Constant [Exit Records]

dBridge & Skeptical :: Move Way [R&S Records] 

Clarity :: Off The Cuff [Exit Records]

Ivy Lab :: Brat [Critical Music] 

Amit :: Roots [Tempa]

Indigo :: The Root [Exit Records]

Rockwell & Untold :: Rekohu Sunrise [Critical Music]

Xtrah - Soundclash [Critical Music]

Fracture & Dawn Day Night - Get Busy [Exit Records]

Rockwell :: -)- [808] [Exit Records] 

Fracture :: The Limit (VIP) [Astrophonica]

Stray :: LA Zoom [Exit Records]

Q&A :: Caine [IM:LTD]

IM:LTD could call 2013 a good year. With a full-length LP project under their belts as well as a host of quality single releases, the French label seems to be going from strength to strength.

We decided it was high-time we got hold of bossman, Caine, to find out what makes the label tick. Read on for the lowdown.

Hi Caine, thanks for talking to us. Can you give us a little background into how IM:LTD came about? What made you want to set up a label?

Hi, thanks for having this interview.

I was already deep into music production and designing visuals for some other labels when I got offered to run my own imprint.

I saw an opportunity there to promote young upcoming producers such as Mortem, Atmospherix & Glen E.Ston.

People I was already in touch with that couldn’t actually fit the sound of the labels I was already working for.

How would you describe the music policy/ethos of  IM:LTD? Is it difficult crafting a product like a record label?

“Let the music do the talking” is what we stand for. We didn’t really make it easy for ourselves, we wanted the label to be as true to the underground and the Drum & Bass fans as we could, putting upfront almost unknown producers coming from barely known local scenes.

Now when it comes to the efforts of putting on a decent label, I already knew regarding my former experiences what it would demand to do it to the fullest. I knew it wouldn’t be a piece of cake, but overcoming obstacles is already a reward in itself…now I’m broke, I’m tired but I’m content as it seems we have some bright days ahead aha!

We hear you have a background in graffiti. Has that translated at all in the way you run your business?

Actually yes, it did a lot. Graffiti being all about “getting up”, I realised later the way I worked on this label project was actually with the same competitive mindset I had when I was bombing when applied to another media.

IM:LTD has quite a prolific release schedule compared to some labels. What's going on at the moment and what can we expect to hear in the near future?

We’re going to get back to a more reasonable release pace this year. Last year was all about having projects we initiated over the former years to finally come out.

But there are some pretty things already lined up starting with a forward thinking dubstep album from Kantyze which we’ve been working on for a year,

a couple of 12”s we are gathering remixes for and you can also expect something special from the IM:LTD camp to mark the 5 years milestone, so keep your ears open. 

You dropped a various artists album recently. How was the response to that? Are there many differences in the way you work towards an album compared to a single or EP release?

The response was super good…it actually always does when it’s a ‘VA’ project, I call it ‘the bundle effect’ aha.

Then it’s all about picking up the right music together, depending on what’s the release concept.

Are there any artists that you're really feeling at the moment?

There are loads, besides the label regulars such as Mortem, Arp Xp, Glen E.Ston and co, I am pretty excited about newcomers I have onboard such as Inertia from Madrid and Alpan Aytekin from Istanbul.

When it comes to what’s out there, there are a lot of people going from strength to strength I appreciate such as Foreign Concept, Villem, Fracture, the whole Manchester thing …

Current Top 5 tunes?

Derrick & Tonika :: Session [Forthcoming IM:LTD]

Phil Tangent :: We Don't Talk Anymore [Forthcoming IM:LTD]

Gerwin :: Soul Truth [IM:LTD]

Chimpo :: All Over [Soul:R]

Foreign Concept :: Paper Cha$er feat. Punchline [Critical Music]

Click this link to go to the IM:LTD store at Juno Download

Q&A :: Clive Ingredients

A little later than planned but no less relevant, is the second part of our Ingredients Records feature. Coming in the form of this interview with label boss, Clive, we find out how he got involved in Drum & Bass, what made him want to set up the label and what drives him to move forward in the scene. Read on!

Clive, thanks for talking to us. Can you give our readers a little insight into how you originally got involved in the Drum & Bass scene as well as the inception of Ingredients Records?

Well I am a firm believer that if you dedicate enough time to something you should look to get something back and I guess I felt that I needed to explore the industry after buying records avidly for 8 years. So much so that I quit my career as a chef to go and work at Redeye Records. That was in 2000 and from there I went and worked at Southern Records Distributors (SRD).  I was on a London pirate station between 2001-2005 and had met many people during this time. I left London to work for ST Holdings and I guess all this experience and networking led me to starting Ingredients confidently. I'd studied the music for 14 years by now so I found something I felt I could do quite well at and launched the label in 2009. 

Do you feel like you've kept in touch with the values the label was originally set up on? How do you see Ingredients evolving as time goes on?

Yes I do, although it's sometimes quite difficult to. The aim was always to find new artists and give them a platform, and some self-belief. But as has been the case throughout the catalogue, I've always released music from established artists too. I guess sometimes it felt like a mission statement rather than a record label but that's the pressure I put myself under and every now & then I just wanted it to be a credible label whoever the record was by. I've put on some really good events  in the last 3 years, notably the 1st one at XOYO & recently at Fabric. That shows the progression but I have slowed the release schedule down, there really is no rush to release good music.

The last release came in the form of another appearance from Response. Can you tell us a bit about that? Can we expect to see any more Ingredients bits before the year is out?

Yeah he sent me about 8 or 9 tunes, some were decent & he released his 1st record alongside ST Files in March this year "Nailbomb / Hard Times"  which was a great way to launch his career! We kept in touch regularly and pushed for his first solo 12". But literally one day he sent me 6 tracks & I signed them all! "Creep / Resistance" is out in the stores now as well as "Surveillance / One Nation" . They've had some terrific support across the scene and I'm really pleased for him. He's been doing this for over a decade and he's finally in the zone. Also out now is another unknown to most, Dominic Petrie. Some different flavours on this one, a lot deeper and chilled but I felt he needed a platform, he's very talented and it's a 7 track digital EP with a 12" to follow.

Any plans for another album project?

To be honest I am put off by them. There are far to many compilations anyway, but if I was to do one it would be a solo album. Too early to say at the moment but I'm not ruling that out.

Who are your favourite producers at the moment? Are there any new guys coming through who you have your eye on?

I'm liking Pennygiles stuff of late, always been a fan of that style and sometimes he absolutely nails it. Skeptical always writes interesting Drum & Bass for me and I am really into Stealth, he has some killer tunes up his sleeve. But Response is someone I'm glad to be working with, 'One Nation' is bloody great.

You recently branched out into artist management with the formation of Evolution Artists. What made you want to get into that and how did it come about?

Yeah myself & James (Chroma) used to talk a lot and we both wanted to get into artist management in some capacity, and when he heard i was managing Symmetry Recordings for Break, we talked in depth about starting an agency. With a fair few artists already into what I was doing with Ingredients and James' experience in being a promoter for Turbulence in Newcastle, I think that experience alone was enough for people to take us seriously. We've been running it for almost 2 years and we both really enjoy it.

Any final thoughts you'd like to add?

Well I feel lucky to be working in the one part of the industry I love (Drum & Bass) and I encourage anyone to follow their desires and never let anyone put them off.

Click this link to go to the Ingredients Records store at Juno Download