This week sees Jubei return to Metalheadz with the long-awaited True Form EP – his first solo release on the label since the critically acclaimed “To Have & Have Not” LP in 2013.
The 5-track EP, while diverse and forward-thinking, still retains a classic Metalheadz vibe throughout, and confirms that while he may have had a well-deserved break from production, his creativity and inspiration certainly didn’t dwindle in the process. We caught up for a chat…
Ez Paul, where in the world are you today?
Hitchin, Hertfordshire in the UK. I have just relocated here after 4 years in Newcastle.
You’ve just dropped the True Form EP on Metalheadz – it’s your first solo release since ‘To Have & Have Not” in 2013, and yet you’ve still been touring consistently and have had no shortage of appearances since the album.. Did you need to give yourself a break after the pressure of putting together a project as big as the album?
Yes. It was my debut album so I put everything into it, by the time I handed it in I felt I needed time out of the studio to refresh. Taking time out of the studio along with touring led to me not making music for quite a while.
Well it’s great to see you back amongst it! The EP is killer, how long did it take to piece together?
Thanks, it’s good to have new music circulating again. I was working on ideas for a couple of months. I set myself a date and when that date arrived I looked at what I had, picked the 5 best ideas from the batch, then spent a couple of months finishing them.
I absolutely fell in love with Paragon, feat. Rumour… The track simply purrs, and with Rumour’s soulful vocals it’s just the perfect roller. Who is Rumour and how did you two link for the tune?
Ricky AKA Rumour is a great singer from London. He writes and produces some of his own music and can be heard singing at open mic nights in Camden. My good friend Craggz of “Craggz & Parrellel Forces” came over to my house one evening and was playing me some alternative music he was working on and I heard him on one of the tracks. Craggz put us in touch with each other and the rest, as they say, is history.
Love the drum-work on Out of Sight.. This track has Metalheadz written all over it for me. For this one you linked with Tyrone of Chroma, how did the track come together?
Ben, AKA Tyrone is an old friend of mine from Newcastle. We had written a few things in the past (Tremorz & Junk Yard) that were well received and we were happy with. We literally started a new tune one afternoon after some beers in my kitchen, then saved the project, came back to it at a later date and after a couple of more studio sessions ‘Out Of Sight’, as it became known, was finished. He is turning into a very competent producer but more importantly working with him is easy. We have another track on the go already and he has a some very impressive material of his own I am sure will see the light of day soon.
Do you have a personal favourite off the EP?
At the minute it’s Congo, but I change my mind on the tracks almost weekly.
Any tracks that were particularly frustrating to perfect?
Not really, I enjoyed making all of them. Don’t get me wrong, they each had their moments of difficulty at the mix down stage. I like my tracks to be stripped back but not empty, that’s always a battle I have with myself whilst finishing tracks. However, on the whole I have made my peace with how they sound now.
Let’s talk about the artwork – It’s hand drawn by Hanna Herrera, an incredibly talented artist renowned for her work using only a Biro.. Seriously impressive! Did you talk to her about the vision you had in mind or did she approach you with the concept?
Yes, her work is very impressive. When I spoke to her about the project it was clear from the start that her style and the logo she was going to draw were very compatible. I had an idea and we spoke about it, a few days later she showed me what she had started to draw and it blew me away, it was perfect. A couple of days after that the art for the front & back of the sleeve was complete. The fact it is all drawn in biro is incredible. Goldie, Ant, If and myself were so pleased with the finished product that T-shirts & prints had to follow, which by the way you can grab from the Headz store now.
You linked with DRS on ‘The Puppeteer” which appeared on his album Mid Mic Crisis. Militant vibes! DRS appeared on your album as well, did you know back then that you wanted to work together again?
We had spoken about working together for years before ‘Tip The Scales’ on my album came about. Marcus Intalex & I finished that track but felt it needed something so we got DRS involved and he nailed it with the hook. Shortly after that his album was taking shape and he asked me to return the favor, so I made ‘The Puppeteer’ for him. DRS has a really strong work ethic which makes working with him really easy.
As I mentioned before you’ve been busy on the touring front of late – Favourite gig this year?
Well, it wasn’t technically this year but at the end of last year I played two festivals in France in one day. That was fun because the first one in Lyon I was on the same bill as Mala of Digital Mystikz. I got to show him our side of the D&B scene as well as the audience at the festival. After that was finished I headed over to Grenoble to meet up with DRS to do an album showcase for his ‘Mid Mic Crisis’ LP and then a DJ set. Got to hang out with Roska & My Nu Leng who were also performing. I really enjoyed both sets so yeah, all in all that was a good day!
Sounds epic! You played an impromptu B2B set with Goldie in Dubai back in May, I’d imagine sets like that would be something truly special? Let your hair down (sorry… 😉 ) and all that?
Yeah that was crazy! DJing on a super-yacht, cruising around Dubai Marina at night in 35c heat.. Playing B2B with Goldie, drinking champagne and seeing everyone having a good time with the most amazing backdrop!
Wicked! One of the last times I saw you play in London was at Plan B in Brixton for a Samurai Records night.. This week news broke that the club was closing down. What are your thoughts on all these clubs closing in the UK and what impact it’ll have on the scene?
I didn’t know Plan B was closing, that’s not cool. I have been playing there on & off for about 10 years. It is sad but things come and go, I’m sure new venues will pop up and bring new memories.
What’s coming up next for you? Plans for the rest of the year?
My ‘True Form’ EP is out now so I will be putting together my next release for Metalheadz over the next few months. I have a couple of remixes for J:Kenzo, FD and Ulterior Motive that will be out soon. I will be working on some new collabs and I have started work on my next album. So, lots of studio time mixed in with gigs is what the rest of the has in store for me.
Final words?
Go buy my ‘True Form’ EP out now on Metalheadz…
Get it on iTunes or from the Metalheadz shop.
Follow Jubei on Facebook / Twitter / SoundCloud
