If there’s one event Drum&BassArena can totally get behind, it’s Let It Roll in the Czech Republic.
Not only is it the world’s only festival dedicated exclusively to drum & bass with the scene’s biggest and best DJs representing every year, it also has stages shaped and themed like robots. Oh, and the beer’s cheap, too.
What began as a club night in 2003 is now a fully fledged three day romp in the summer and comes with a massive winter bash, too. This week sees them activate a new level with their first ever album: Let It Roll Volume 1. Two mixes, 40 tracks and a whole tonne of exclusives, it represents the festival’s extensive genre explorations with a truly international cast.
We caught up with A-Cray. A firm face at Let It Roll for two years, he’s most recently been spotted on Titan and EatBrain. For Let It Roll Volume 1, he’s given the album this exclusive…
This is how the chat went down…
Yes A-Cray… What’s popping?
Just survived a really crazy weekend… So I guess I am good!
You’re a key player within the Let It Roll movement… Please tell us about your relationship with the event.
Playing LiR was always a goal for me. Bifidus Aktif offered me to become a member of their “booking family” the same day he booked me on LiR 2013, so it was really fast and unbelievable. It helped me a lot and I owe them for it. I love them.
For those reading who have yet to experience the unique madness of LIR, please try to sum up why they should check the event out…
Well the line-up speaks for itself! The stages look and sound awesome and the atmosphere is really friendly… Everybody looks happy.
What three things should anyone pack before jumping on a plane to join you for the next bash this summer?
A good mood, some good shoes and a spare liver!
And what three things should they leave at home?
Dogs, cats, children. I cant come up with anything else but there’s probably a lot more…
Production and design are a really important characteristic of the event aren’t they? Please run us through some of the mad, eye-popping scenes Let It Roll has put on for fans over the years….
It‘s different every year, or it was. Now LiR is working with robots mostly. The main stage is always massive and always has a story and that‘s something really unique, I think. Also I would mention the robot-people hanging out or dancing on stages, they are part of production, but during the day you really feel them like some creepy aliens have arrived. You will see when you get there…
Please tell us about your most memorable/crazy/fucking mental memories of the event…
The whole weekend is always fucking mental! From drinking rum right after you wake up to jumping with other producers to somebody else’s mix. It‘s wicked!
Which DJs – in your opinion – have taken LIR to a whole new level with their sets over the years? (And why)
I think it‘s the people in the crowd who really take LiR to a whole new level. Also it would be hard to pick one (or few) DJs… Everyone who plays here enjoys LiR a lot, so everybody plays the best!
Do you think the unique vibe of Let It Roll is down to the amount of local D&B talent in the Czech republic? There’s A LOT of great artists in your country – Symplex, Madface, Aze, Rido… Let’s take a moment to big up the whole CZ dnb family!
The scene here is big! Lot of gigs = Lot of D&B fans = Lot of producers. I like how we can really find producers for every sub-genre here. From deep and liquid to neurofunk. And the family is growing bigger and bigger! I really like where this is going!
Let’s chat about the album for a minute. It’s pretty heavy, right? Also… It’s about time LIR had their own album!
It’s just great! I am so happy that a whole range of a really famous and talented producers contributed with great tracks! It’s an honor to be part of it! Also its really varied, so everyone can find something there!
Tell us about your own exclusive contribution Nuclear Whatever… Serious tune! Any inspirations or lessons learnt during the track?
Usually I finish the track and than I have to sign it somewhere. But this time I knew I was working for this album from the very beginning. Sometimes you just dont know how it‘s going to sound in the end. Sometimes you even change the BPM/genre during the process. This time I knew exactly what I want and I am quite happy with the result.
Now we’re talking about your productions, it’s been a pretty busy year for you so far with releases on Eatbrain and Titan… What’s coming up next?
I am working on so many things right now, not only D&B, but almost nothing is finished. I said “yes” to too many things (remixes mostly) and now I am quite stuck with those decisions. Wish me luck with that! The only thing I can say for sure is that our collaboration with Eatbrain isnt over.
Anything else we need to know right now?
I think I said what I wanted. Looking forward to seeing everyone at Let It Roll!
Let It Roll Volume 1 is out now. Support: iTunes / Beatport / Spotify
