Frankee has stepped in rather discretely with the All Four One ep on Ram. Well ‘discrete’ sure but somehow in the expectation-confounding, paintstripping, and sonically-devious way that only D&B can do, as tunes like ‘Flim Flam’ and the much-anticipated ‘Drop It Low’ will attest…
Those who know will have watched his steady moves from early releases on Program and will agree that when it comes to Frankee, well, it tends to be a rather good look. He took time out to fill us in what’s been cooking. Nice list of oldies at the end too.
Hey Frankee, how’s life in this rather cold and wet Feb?
Pretty good thanks for asking. This time last year I was out in the elements doing what I used to do, which was gardening. This year I’m sitting with a cup of green tea doing this interview. Happy days.
How did you find 2014? I feel like it was a busy one for you? The release of ‘Gully’, playing live, for eg Fabric, what were some highlights?
It was a really busy year for me, Gully/Away was a big release for me and did a lot for my profile. That in itself was a huge highlight. Warming up for Andy C’s all night show at Brixton electric was an absolute honour. If you had asked me a year before if I could see myself in that sort of situation I would’ve probably just laughed it off.
The BBC radio D&B soundclash was also a huge thing for me: Ram had asked me to take part and thought I would be best suited for the quick mix, I took it on myself as a challenge and did something I had never done before, I really pushed myself to the limits. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been that nervous before: it was completely live and I did it in one take.
Sweaty!
Where do you like playing out, on the subject?
Everywhere and anywhere. I absolutely love DJing. As long as I’ve got a few people in front of me and they’re up for a party then I’m going to enjoy it
Overall, 2015 seems like an incredible start, with D&B out of the gates like some mad beast! Must be great to be part of this opening salvo?
I honestly think D&B is always on a mad one: there are so many amazing producers/labels releasing so much incredible music 365 days a year. It’s hard to keep up with it. To be involved in the D&B scene alone is enough to keep a smile on my face.
On to the release, ‘Deep Down’ has a touch of melancholy but also a touch of resolve/determination about it…
I made the instrumental last year, I was trying to make something that had the same vibe as ‘Away’ but completely different in its own right. I sent it to Ram along with a batch of other instrumentals and they sent it over to Caan (vocalist). I received a demo version of what he had written and I was sold instantly.
A few days later he sent me the Acapella tracks to mix into the instrumental and voila! ‘Deep down’ was born.
I think you’ll agree Caan’s vocal makes the track; It was exactly what I was looking for when I was writing the instrumental.
httpv://youtu.be/e5FEqtzTa2Y
The much-anticipated ‘Drop It Low’ simply struck me with its style: Filthy synth and b line, the bpm, the flow, it’s wicked.
‘Drop it low’ was very much produced in the same way as ‘Gully’. It was a very quick turnaround, I think I had the whole project started and finished in a couple of days.
In my experience sometimes my best work is done in quick bursts. Everyone has different ways of working but for me inspiration comes and goes and I have no control on when it will appear.
httpv://youtu.be/CknYQ99OP-E
All in all the All Four One ep finds you really super-creative and at home with your style it seems? That’s how it comes across.
I guess the idea for the whole ep was to showcase my varied taste in D&B.
I like it all from the bangers to the more minimal downtempo stuff. I had a batch of tunes that were asking for a release so instead of releasing just a single we decided to turn it up a notch and release an ep.
We’ve had some real eye opening material from June Miller and Rene LaVice on RAM too, so how does it feel to be part of this gang at RAM?
Everyone on RAM are doing their thing and I think it’s all great. I suppose that’s why I feel so at home within the label. All the artists are really friendly and we all have a laugh when we’re on the road.
Ram have always been releasing eye opening material since the very first release and from what I’m hearing they’re not stopping anytime soon.
What tunes are in the box right now that are slaying live?
Dimension’s next single is massive: ‘Jet Black’ and ‘Whip Slap’ have both been getting rinsed
Lots of oldies I’ve been bringing back in have been hurting it like they’re still not out yet.
httpv://youtu.be/1EGt9yXXfbg
‘Medicine’ remix, ‘Buck Rogers’, ‘Warhead’, ‘The One’, ‘Trust Me’…
httpv://youtu.be/vyfjnIQLkrg
And anything by Prototypes smashes it: so much fun to mix.
… and here are plenty of new bits by myself which I’m testing for consideration for my next release.
All Four One
Frankee is playing the Saturday of the RAM Weekender: March 7.
