He’s not the most prolific of artists, in fact it’s taken him a whole year to make his latest EP, but Naibu is most definitely one of the most consistent drum & bass artists France has given us. A firm face at Horizons, his delicate depths and smoldering soul are always worth exploring. Case in point, his recent ‘Fall’ EP, it features beautiful compositions like this…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5JieDIdd5Q
Was this supposed to be released last October or something? You’re chatting about the autumn and we’re coming into spring!
It would’ve been beautiful to release it in the autumn wouldn’t it? I finished it in the autumn, I actually started it last spring… I went through all the seasons. The full EP was finished in the winer.
The EP took you a year to make?
Yes it did. These things take a long time. Especially with me. I’m so slow. I need a lot of time to make something special. I leave things for a while, then keep coming back, adding new ideas. It’s close to an album.
It is! Habitat came out last year too…
Yes at the very start. But this is completely different to the album. Actually writing Habitat I stopped making drum & bass for a while. I’d dried up idea-wise. I put so much into one genre. Well, Habitat had lots of genres but I felt it was still a drum & bass album. After writing it I felt my ideas had been used up. I didn’t think I could make anything interesting. Then, after a break, I found myself getting back into drum & bass. I wanted to make something more dancefloor; still musical and progressive but the structure should be dancefloor… Intro, drop, breakdown, drop. You know? I stay away from that when I’m making an album so the EP was a fun way to refresh to myself.
Wow… You almost quit drum & bass?
Almost! I have a lot of other material that’s in other genres. It’s all work in progress and I don’t know what to do with it. Making a lot of music and different tempos; I was fascinated by fine-tuning song structures and less focused by the genre. Getting back into D&B was helpful as it gave me rules and a structure again. You need rules!
Yes, or otherwise you have a blank canvas and too many options…
Exactly! I need restrictions. A lot of them. When I started making music I had too much cracked software and I didn’t know how much of it worked. Then, when I bought my Mac, I decided I’d buy my software. With a limited budget I could only get one or two things, and that really helped me. Having a stripped down set-up and some real instruments I’ve got a limited palette – it allows me to be more creative. Getting back to drum & bass was the same limitations, it’s refreshing!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYXryeb0BHI
Great. My favourite track is Wrong. It’s so Wrong it’s right! What’s your favourite on the EP?
That’s such a difficult question! I’m glad you like Wrong though, it’s special for me, too. It came out of nowhere. I was messing around on a new synth and it came about very organically. Sometimes you write something and think ‘how did this come about?’ I really don’t know. I actually felt Wrong should’ve been another genre. The whole title was supposed to be Wrong Genre!
Ha! We have to talk about Ena and Key. Key’s got such a beautiful voice…
Oh hasn’t she! She’s amazing. She doesn’t look anything like her voice, she’s so cute but she has this deep resonating voice. She has this amazing accent and you can’t tell where she’s from when she’s singing. I think that adds something to her delivery. She’s special.
Ena, too…
Yes. Ena is an amazing producer from Japan. He’s very experimental, he makes a lot of stuff at 130 right now. I’m always inspired by him.
What’s the connection with Japan, then?
I’ve always been fascinated by Japan. For as long as I can remember. I’m not sure how I met Ena. It was on the internet but I don’t know who got in touch with who first but eventually we hooked up when I went to Japan. We made two tunes in two days! He takes the time to tour Europe every November and always comes by to write tunes. He’s so fast! He’s a proper musician, his day job is writing pop music.
Like so many D&B producers! It subsidises the underground stuff…
It does! It’s the crazy duality: he makes this crazy cheesy stuff in the day and makes this most beautiful stripped down stuff at night. It’s so minimal and experimental. I love it.
Would you like to write to pop, too?
I’d love to do it! Bring it on!
Haha, cool. So what’s up next? A spring EP in the autumn?
That would be nice wouldn’t it. No, I’m too slow for that. I’ve actually got a last minute release for Record Store Day. A lot of unreleased tracks that are seven or eight years old. In 2007 I had the privilege of receiving a showcase mix from an American DJ called Stunna. He did this spotlight mix, it was my breakthrough; a lot of people became aware of me through that… but most of the tracks have never been released. People keep asking me about releasing them so we will. There’ll be a CD and two 10”s. Just for Record Store Day.
Can we find it online now?
Sure, it’s here.
Great! Now then, let’s finish up… Naibu translates to deputy in Swahili. Did you pick that because the sheriff gets shot?
Ha! That makes more sense now! When I Google my name a lot of pictures of African people come up. I’ve never known why!
Fall is out now. Listen and download