‘We are on the same wavelength because we are both known – as Genetix in dubstep and Aquasky in breakbeat – to kill it with the bass’
The totally inspired (and inspiring) pairing of Genetix and Oslo is pretty formidable to say the least, considering their respective dubstep/D&B pedigrees. The result is ‘Tyson Fury’ and ‘Shotgun’. And from that you have a strong but persistent feeling that this will deliver.
The sound you have is really tough: when did you start working together under the moniker Genetix & Oslo per se?
Oslo: We started late last year I think it was when we did the Ragga Twins & Rico Tubbs remix on Passenger.
Have your respective paths brought in a wealth of ideas and processes?
Oslo: Too right! It’s a meeting of the old school and the new school. Genetix have lots of ways of doing things and plenty of studio tricks.
And I also have the Aquasky background to fall back on and enough madness between my ears!
Genetix: Brent started with analogue but we started with reason and cubase in the studio so ideas flow really quickly. We can jump on stuff fast and change things without major issues and not lose valuable studio time.
People must have had a lot of patience to make tunes back in the day!
With three heads in the studio it’s wicked to be able to get loads of ideas and keep the tune flowing nicely.
I know Genetix that you have a history in D&B aside from dubstep… are you full time now?
Genetix: We aren’t full time D&B as we are still smashing the dubstep with our labels Big Tuna and Deep Tuna. But you gotta remember that we first started our careers making drum and bass back in the day and have always loved its energy and vibe.
To the music: no messing with something called ‘Tyson Fury’, so when did the tune come about? It’s a bit furious-sounding in itself, an angry one.
Oslo: Thanks mate… it seems to have gone down well with the D&B massif! We started to make the tune and then I went to the pub across the road from the Genetix studio to watch the Tyson Fury vs Christian Hammer fight with some mates.
I watched Tyson’s walk on and thought that the tune we were making would be killer for a boxing walk on. It just sounds like someone being beaten to a pulp! It’s also such a wicked name, something you will always remember.
And I hope that this tune will be remembered too.
I was inspired myself by the 1996 sound coming out of Reinforced. The chopped-to-death classic breaks. The simplistic but brain-melting bass.
Tell us more…
I was there at Dollis Hill when these tunes were being made as I was mates with lots of the Reinforced crew, 4 Hero and Gus especially. I was sat in on sessions when 4Hero were making this kind of sound as well as Arcon 2 aka Lean Marr.
To hear it on these huge sound system style set ups, all analogue, with no volume restrictions… I can still feel the vibrations!
I wanted to draw from this memory and bring it up to date with the Genetix boys.
And ‘Shotgun’? Can you talk us through it.
Oslo: Genetix and myself are into the jump up sound if it’s done right. I had the Shotgun sample and just thought it would work in that kind of tune. And I love the ol’ gun cock biz too and I know Matt and Rich ain’t scared to fire off a few cannons in a tune!
We just want to make music that bangs hard and made for the clubs.
Myself and Genetix are from totally different backgrounds but we have the same ideas and its been great to make this music as there is rarely a suggestion that gets binned. We are on the same wavelength because we are both known – as Genetix in dubstep and Aquasky in breakbeat – to kill it with the bass.
And we both started our careers in dance music making D&B. So we can draw from that and mash it with all the other genres and vibes we are into.
And the cool thing is The Ragga Twins freestyled over ‘Shotgun’ for their recent ‘Bar Frenzy’ video and the feedback to that was massive, so we are going to record the guys and put out a vocal version ASAP.
I was checking The Ring The Alarm mix and it contains a lot of styles, is this what we’d hear of you when you play out? Can imagine this going down a storm live.
Oslo: That was just an Oslo mix so I cant answer for Genetix here.
It’s what I’m into: raw, heavy, but mixed with a musical vibe. My style of mixing is from the Bukem camp. I like to roll mixes out and build my sets so they go up and come down and then go up twice as BIG, which I appreciate Bukem doesn’t do quite as heavy because he doesn’t play this kind of aggressive music, but I do!
It’s cliché to state but I am taking people on a journey.
Let’s say I am just recreating the rave I have in my head and sharing it with others on Soundcloud at this time. It’s early days for Oslo… no one really knows about me yet.
Of course people know of Aquasky, perhaps older heads, but Oslo needs to get out there some more.
Anyone reading this who wants to book Oslo then email. If you want to book Genetix then get in contact
To continue, how has your past geared you up to produce D&B now, Oslo? Are you excited about the state of D&B right now?
Oslo: I am excited about some of the D&B now and defo what we are creating. I never got into the ‘popNbass’ vibes that saw D&B enter the charts and become backing tracks for pop singers.
If I go to a dance then I wanna hear music that’s going to get me amped. As Aquasky, we started making mellow music and then around 1998 we got darker and then by the time we were making breakbeat fulltime, 2001/2003, it was off the chain bassline madness and earbleeding breakbeat friction.
When we got into breaks it was a bit odd for us. The music wasn’t made for clubs as we knew it after being on labels like Moving Shadow and Reinforced. So we brought the sound and the track structure of D&B and applied it to breakbeat and created a new genre: Bassline Breaks.
But its now 20 years since we started Aquasky and the timing felt right to get back into the studio to make some D&B again.
What’s next for you all: you must have a lot of tunes stockpiled.
Oslo: As Genetix & Oslo we have finished a tune for the follow up, ‘HiFi Killa’ and started the flip, ‘Skullator’. We also have the vocal version of ‘Shotgun’ to do.
We have already released our remix of The Ragga Twins & Rico Tubbs, which also came out on Passenger.
It’s a question of time as we have only been making music together for the past 5 months. But I am sure we will find more time as the interest and support continues. In regards to Aquasky, we have a 20th Anniversary album due out over the summer called Shadow Era which has all our tunes and remixes from 95-96.
It’s been hard to get them all cleared and find the rights holders after 20 years, but it’s been worth it.
Genetix: Well we’ve just had the third part of a three part series released on our sister label ‘Deep Tuna’. It was three EPs showcasing the more minimal Genetix sound. Now that’s out of the way we will be focusing on D&B.
We have the collabs with Oslo and a collab EP with a producer friend of ours called Habitat. That’s forthcoming on Ruffneck Ting.
Any shouts?
Oslo: Firstly, The Risky at Drum And Bass Arena. I remember you started your website around the same time as we started our Aquasky one and I use to chat with Risky back then when we were making d&b. Of course The Ragga Twins and the RTC (Pedro Slimer, MTEK and Mr. Cogee). Spyda, Blu Bomma and Slipz in Nottingham.
All the Moving Shadow and Reinforced crews.All the Passenger crew. On The Rise Promotion for their great work with this project. And the readers of this and those who have shown this project the love. For me I am trying to draw upon the 1999-2003 sound of D&B as that’s when I was last fully active in the genre so I best shout out those who were doing it then and helping me get inspiration again now: Total Science, Bassline Smith & Drumsound, Tech Itch and finally Ryme Tyme. I can still listen to the work from then and get the vibe and the goosebumps!
Shouts to the Ragga Twins for vocalising ‘Shotgun’ for us. All those supporting our music and the DJs playing our tunes out there and big ups to Drum&BassArena for the interview and all the good work you guys have done and are still doing for the scene.