Hardcore Formation Records destroyer DJ SS has teamed up with Warren G to explore something unprecedented in D&B, as you’ll read. Well let’s face it, the music has always been about positive energy – you should check their soundcloud for recent evidence – and SS has simply brought his longstanding focus to the fore in the form of the new release which feels distinctly as if he’s pushed the creative accelerator to floor, creating something utterly blazing in the process.
You sound busy SS! What’s new?
This year has been really crazy: 16 date tour of he States and working on loads of album projects. I’m bringing through a load of new artists. We are also re-pushing Formation again… we are stepping up our game with 25 years of Formation.
We are also moving forward with the new company, Bass Disciple. I am also mad busy with church.
More about the label soon. About this release, ‘Nothing Hollow”s a killer, it’s lethal, so what does the title refer to? And when/how did the tune evolve?
Yes thank you. Taking it back to the original vibes, when it was about the music not about trying to get in the pop charts. The idea came from Warren G. He came in the studio and said ‘Check this out!’, so we just went with it.
What influences does this release in general contain? What sort of things shaped it?
My music will always have soul. It’s all about a feeling and any project I do will always have a gospel track or a message in it.
So do we as a species need some guidance right now? Bit of a circus in society I feel. Politics, events in society… things are a little out of hand sometimes. Reactions, over-reactions and so forth. Especially right now.
Indeed. We need to take it back to the original truth. Back to basics. We live in me me me generation. It’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship with God.
Positivity all the way!
I’m feeling a lot of work on the production side of this, a lot of late night work in the lab, so tell us about the sessions behind the release. It’s got a lot of depth.
I have about three albums’ worth of work. I’ve been stock piling for the last seven years, trying to catch that vibe. I’m not feeling this poppy DNB & music is so disposable these days. So I just keep writing music, then, going back to the tracks. ‘Reach For The Stars’ was written in 2011!
Have you road tested the material live?
Yep, ‘Walk Through the Valley’ is a tune that goes off
Take us into what Formation has in store considering the time the label’s been around? It’s a very influential label.
Watch for new camp and old camp. There’s a Greenlaw album, November 2016.
Hopefully Influx UK will be back in 2017. New artist, High Roll, Sikka, Rockman, Spexion, Subsonic, Trauma Unit. My next project is an album: ‘Sounds of the Summer’.
It’s summer music vibes, about 25 tracks, dropping in late August. Also, the Bass Disciple label. Soul Savaz is my new name for Gospel. Really trying to put this 25 Years of Formation project out in late 2016, early 2017.
We have remastered the whole back cat.
Any shouts?
Big shout to everybody who supported us over the 25 years. Massive shout to the Grooverider, without him pushing me, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Big shout out to the whole of the Formation family, Tasha, Gjiggy, Veronica, Biggie for mastering. My son Jordan and daughter Parris. My Harvest City church family for showing me the way and big big shout going out to God.
Without him nothing is possible.
DJ SS & MC Warren G: Nothing Hollow / Walk Through The Valley mix