Eclectic Minds: A chance for us to grab non-D&B artists but the scruff of their necks and ask them directly: DO YOU LOVE DRUM & BASS?
Of course they always say yes. And then proceed to give us a selection of D&B tunes they love. Some of the artists we speak to are closet lovers – artists who enjoy D&B but you’d never tell from their beats. Then there are artists who, just by listening to their music, who are guaranteed to be massive fans. People like Reso….
A versatile producer, Reso’s often found lurking around dubstep’s green pastures but has actually released D&B tunes such as Voices Of A Distant Star, War Machine, Your Revolution and Slap Chop. So it should come as no surprise, then, that Reso LOVES his drum & bass. In fact it’s the style he originally wanted to make a name for himself in…
“I loved D&B before dubstep was ever a thing!” he laughs. “Moving Shadow, Metalheadz, you know the labels. That was my thing! But I never thought I was good enough to make it! Then dubstep came along and I thought ‘wow, this is new and exciting.’ Plus, if I’m honest, it was kind of easier to make! Very minimal; sub, beat, dubby spaced out sound – done! Compared to making something like a Virus style tune was too daunting! So I took what I love in drum & bass and put it into dubstep.”
“If I was in a desert island disc situation and had to pick three things then I’d pick a pad, a sub and an amen. Some people go for an 808 instead. You’re either an amen man or an 808 man. I’m an amen man. I love breakbeats!”
It turns out that Reso’s pretty outspoken. And as he gears to unleash his debut album – Tangram, a multi-genre bass freakout that covers all styles from D&B to dubstep to glitch to cosmic psychedelic future funk – he’s more keen than ever to establish just where he stands on certain dubstep sounds.
“What fucks me off is that some people lump me in with the bro-y stuff,” he admits. “Granted, I’ve made some silly bollocks tunes but I don’t consider it bro-y. Would you call neuro brostep? Yeah it’s heavy and dirty but it’s not cheesy. It’s not like car alarms going off! And I don’t like any of this pop dubstep shit. It’s wank! The people making it are really talented but it’s wasted. The same for the dungeon thing. I swear they’re all using the same reece patch. Icicle makes some amazing dungeon stuff but he’s got a natural groove.”
So if you see Reso walking down the street, don’t go calling him a brostep producer. Or a poppy dubstep producer. Or a dungeon dubstep producer. But you CAN call him a D&B lover. And you CAN call him the creator of a damn fine debut album that oozes swashbuckling, body-slamming vibes that all D&B fans will relate to.
“I’ve tried to cover every base I like,” he says. “To be honest I wanted more on it but the album format isn’t long enough! I didn’t want to put out and album that was a bunch of tunes thrown together. It had to be more of a film. Like a flow with dynamics. I wanted tunes that would stand the test of time. I want it be enjoyed as a whole. Like Colours by Adam F. Proper journey stuff with interludes and little moments that catch you on every listen. I don’t want you to hear it in full on the first listen.”
Tangram is out on November 5 on Civil Music. In the meantime you can check the Reso beats we’ve got on our download store. Then listen to THIS… An exclusive heads up on a killer Emperor remix. Out October 22.
Eclectic Minds: Reso’s top 3 D&B tunes
Icicle – Minimal Funk
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYylVb8_5sQ
“I love this! And I loved it when he flipped it to Minimal Dub. Such a simple idea but it works so well! I love both versions, they both kill it.”
Noisia & Phace – Program
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyrwMmsufJc
“Making a bassline out of a man saying ‘program’? That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard! It’s one of those ‘give up now’ moments. How can you top creativity like that? Incredible stuff.”
Adam F – Metropolis
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHg2du9015g
“What a tune! I can’t say I’m in to what he’s doing now but that’s not for me to say. But I loved his older stuff. Check his Colours album and understand where he started. And if we’re talking about albums then No Turning Back by Calyx is another incredible album. The whole album is SICK!”