If you know your Liquid Funk then the moniker Delta & Format will strike a chord: from a time that spawned another producer known as Calibre, D&F made music that was soooo totally, outrageously under the radar, so unprecedented… mysterious & oblique soul/house/disco expressions at a D&B tempo.
Delta himself is back, and so is the Microdot label and there’s a new compilation dropping fresh today: Lost Dubs 2002 – 2009
And there’s more: the mythical, AWOL producer Influx UK is involved, yes indeed.
But back to Delta…
Can you tell us about the Lost Dubs project? Every track is fantastic and it’s a great overall listen.
Thanks man glad you like the tracks.
What’s the story with this compilation project?
Over the last couple of years quite a few people had asked me for copies of a few of these tracks, so as I’ve started producing again I decided to re-awaken the label and search through old lists to find other tracks that had been played on radio by Fabio, Grooverider, Bailey, Flight but for many reasons had stayed as dubs.
After searching I got a selection together and this is the first batch.
For people who don’t know you from the liquid funk days, can you give me some background on Delta & Format?
In a nutshell: Rob Delta and Mat Format.
I’ve known Mat mainly since meeting him on an art foundation course in the mid-90s. Both of us were into the culture: raving, DJing following the progression through hardcore junglist techno then into D&B. He lived near the art collage so we used to have heavy DJing sessions there then later at mine, we both bought an Atari set up around ’96 or ’97.
As we both had our own home studios we would either collaborate on tracks or be sharing ideas about each other’s productions.
We’ve been releasing D&B since 2000 together and separately as Delta & Format, Stormtroopers and Love Byte on labels such as Reinforced, Hospital, Creative Source, Dread, Liquid V, Ebony Dubs and of course Microdot.
Speaking of the releases, I used to see your releases down at Blackmarket on the wall, what were specifically some key 12s you put out?
Quite a few I guess…
Stormtroopers Mirage ep 2001
Delta & Format vs DJ Sky ‘You & Me/Reach Out’ on Fireclown 2001 (Big up DJ Sky!)
Delta ‘Submerged/Roots’ on Hospital in 2002
Delta & Format Switch ep on Reinforced 2002
Delta & Format ‘Gave You All The Love/Ultra’ on Creative Source in 2003
Delta & Format featuring Influx UK ‘East of the River Nile/Emotions’, on Microdot, 2003
I can’t let this go without asking about ‘Gave You All The Love’ on Creative Source, it’s my favourite D&B track.
From what I can remember that was a rough track idea that Format had done. He wasn’t into it at all, I thought it was banging but maybe needed a re-work. I think he then went back in on it. He still didn’t want to send it out but I knew it had to be sent to Fabio and then it blew up.
Back to the lost dubs, can you tell me the connection with Influx UK? Were you friends?
I first got in contact with Gavin after hearing Fabio play ‘Forever’ (Influx Datum) around 2001. He was into our music so we’d send each other tracks. Then he moved back to London from Miami and we would hook up at his or ours.
He also helped build my first music PC. Then we started giving him tracks to do extra production on or he’d take it upon himself to remix them down as he knew what he was doing! ha ha.
We lost contact when he moved back to the US to start a family but I managed to track him down a few months ago. He says he has retired from D&B but we shall see! He will be sending me over tracks for part two of this ep when he has time to find the CDs, the fiend!
And one of the tracks from this first compilation has a tale?
The Influx relick of ‘Void’ is from 2006. Mat and I didn’t even know it existed until I’d tracked down Gav in the US and he sent it over!
So to sum up about Microdot, and your future plans?
Microdot was started in 2003. We put out two 12s and then life went in many other directions.
For the re-awakening of Microdot via bandcamp we now have digital masters of the first two 12s.
The Lost Dubs ep will be released on the full moon of November 6 as digital only, via our Bandcamp.
Then for micro 004 onwards we’ll be releasing limited edition vinyl as well as downloads. The label will mainly be a vehicle for me to have the freedom to release my own new music and collaborations.