Kalm & Spindall stride forth with their Cataclysm ep via their Nurtured Beatz Recordings, time to find out what’s happening with those gas masks, not to mention the aforementioned Cataclysm. Sounds ominous. But either way, don’t sleep on this: that would indeed be cataclysmic.
Hi. How would you summarise your path into D&B?
Kalm: Hi. I got into D&B when injured my leg. I was a b-ball player and I went with my friends to Camden Palace. From then: I was hooked! But before that, I was a hip hop head.
Spindall: I’ve been a DJ for 20 years started off through jungle music. I got into the pirate radio circuit very young in the 90s and have been playing out since 1997. Started dabbling in production around 2008 and have had releases on various labels as well as our own.
So what was the moment you determined to do D&B as it were? The spark.
Spindall: The ‘spark’ where I thought “I have got to be a DJ” came in December 1994 when I went to an under 18 event called Teen Rage and saw DJs live for the first time. It blew my mind.
I learnt how to mix at a mate’s house that was a bit of a legend around my area for being a DJ. I persuaded my parents to let me get the equipment of my own, but the deal was I had to save for them, so I got a paper round I bought my first decks in 1995.
To the tunes, what inspired ‘Destiny’?
Spindall: There’s definitely some inspiration from the 90s in this one. We’re both big fans of the old full Cycle Bristol sound and wanted to do a modern twist of that.
Kalm: We felt it was time to do a deeper track and the sample helped it along…
Speaking of, I note some of the samples in these tunes, what inspires you to sample, and does it shape the tune?
Spindall: I’m a big fan of film samples, which is probably evident in some of the tracks on the Cataclysm EP and some previous ha ha!
Sometimes a sample can shape a track. For example, the piano sample we used in Thorn was the canvas for that track. We built the beat and everything to fit around the piano.
What’s the ‘Cataclysm’ of the title? Global blackout? Mega Tsunami? Paranormal unfriending stalking?
Kalm: Well, it’s a reference to the disaster that the art form suffered: labels going under, clubs going under, and piracy.
Plus the politics of country going to shit. Everything around us really.
And just trying to turn that into positivity with music!
Spindall: Kalm nailed that one…
Can you tell us about that fab Arkaik remix? I love that, how did it come about?
Kalm: It ended up coming via Shanghai, China, so big ups to him for that!
Spindall: We’re good friends with Pete and he’s played at our party. He was a supporter of the original track so we asked him if he’d like to remix it. He agreed and here we are releasing it.
Really happy with the outcome!
The original is a half time track more in the style of what Pete is known for, yet the remix has been switched back to a two step roller what we are more known for ha ha!
What tunes of any genre are you into right now? Five?
Spindall: I’m gonna go for what I’ve played the most in sets over the last couple of months…
Kalm & Spindall ‘Cataclysm’ Nurtured Beatz
Hyroglifics ‘Withdraw’ (Kolectiv Remix) Nurtured Beatz Dub
Kolectiv & Incognito ‘Circle of Sound’ (Fearful remix) Nurtured Beatz Dub
Yung E ‘Ascension ‘Dub
Yung E & Spindall untitled dub
Kalm:
‘Sixfoot’ (Tephra & Arkoze Remix)
Pete Rock ‘Heaven & Earth’
Jedi Mind Tricks ‘Deathless Light’
Soligen & Type 2 ‘The Rhythm’
Survey ‘Circular Logic’
Do you hit many nights? Whereabouts?
Kalm: I try to hit up all the D&B nights I can! The last one I went to was Launch.
I NEEED to go to ‘Soul In Motion’ because I still haven’t.
But I love Noise Testin Brixton. The policy is to play your own tunes only: so you have to bring your own fire!
Spindall: There’s a few regular events we try and support like Rupture, Launch, Cohesion, Diffrent Music, Evolution, Noise, Flexout Audio and Soul in Motion.
Also like to go the label nights like Cyberfunk and Symmetry and so forth.
So what spots would we find you at?
Spindall: We play out regularly at our own label night at Plan B in Brixton. The next one is in conjunction with Proximity Recordings in August at Timbuktu, Bristol. Rude FM parties around London town and have also played for Evolution, Siren in Brighton and a few others of late.
You can also catch us on rudefm.com Saturdays 8-10pm. I draw a lot of the label stuff as well as some vintage classics thrown in.
Also support a lot of material that’s sent to me from Dispatch, Proximity, Symmetry and labels like that.
Kalm: Plan B, London. Valve, Reinforced, Science…
Any shouts and forthcomings?
Both: Shout out to the full Nurtured Beatz crew to many names to mention but you know who you are.
Out to all the RudeFM and In Reach family too. Watch out for forthcoming EPs from C-Side, Mystic State and more in the upcoming months!