‘It’s physical products or nothing in our opinion… ‘
Look at it. Just look at it. Does such an object even have a classification? Well it’s not your typical music commodity is it? It’s been dispatched from some earth-similar planet in some far-flung spiral arm we don’t know about yet by priority galactic post.
So, as we’re on the topic of the indescribable… over to Nucleus & Paradox to detail their beats-laden venture on Samurai.
Hey Nucleus & Paradox. What’s been new of late?
N&P: Apart from putting out 12″s we’ve also been in the studio a lot this year in preparation for next year and have cemented a few that will pop up Q1 2017. After SunandBass festival last month we came away with a lot of inspiration and Esoteric 017 was completed which is the next release from us both.
SaB always gets this huge outpouring… what’s it mean to you?
SunandBass is our favourite festival of the year, a place to chill and to hear D&B and other genres from a lot of our favourite artists all under one roof. The fact that we don’t get to see everyone on the road due to commitments makes it’s totally unique.
The organization is really something and the family vibe is one of a kind.
Eight days and nights of partying is hardcore though, it definitely takes a toll on the body.
You are back on Samurai – since ‘Prism/Electropaque’… how did this come about? Are you of similar mindset as the label?
N&P: We now only work together for three labels and after years of guest appearances we want to keep that to a minimum. Samurai is a label that fits and lets us have artist freedom to release on vinyl what we please.
Vinyl is important to us – it’s physical products or nothing in our opinion.
… following on does this spread to the aesthetic of the release in any way, or is it coincidence? There’s a ‘sheen’ of futuristic/late night chill about Samurai and this release looks forboding too: the skull, the stark font, the black and deep red…
N&P: We spent a fair bit of time on the branding for the 12″ with the label and we’re really pleased with the Splattered disc pressing.
‘Late-night sleeze’ sums it up… with unique breaks which we spent a lot of time researching. Samurai weren’t too keen with the overheads but all Nucleus and Paradox releases aren’t cheap dates as you can tell.
Take us into ‘Alzora’ in terms of conception.
N&P: As far as our collaborations go, when we work together we write music that we wouldn’t generally do on our own and this is one of the reasons why we’re on our 40th 12″.
‘Alzora’ features a sharp background break that fills all the gaps and careful moulding of dark and smooth musicical switches worked with the drums really well. Again, its a collaboration process that works faster than programming our solo projects.
The mood of ‘Volcanism’ is all-enveloping, to me… the link between the breaks, tempo, the vibe… it’s a trip. But they of course both are.
N&P: We’re both fans of the 90s Hidden Agenda sound as we’re familiar with the sample sources they used to manipulate. We’re also fans of esoteric-style sample placement that ‘shouldn’t really be there’ and Volcanism has similar lifts that are definately weird but still work in a qwirky way.
It’s not a club tear-out track and wasn’t designed to be but compliments the more up-tempo A side.
What is on the horizon for you, and on the live front?
N&P: A new Wax Breaks album drops in January, two Metalheadz 12″s and a new Esoteric 12″ also early 2017.
Up next you can catch Paradox live back in the UK on November 18th for Rupture’s 10th Birthday event (flyer below) with Doc Scott, Loxy, Paradox, Om Unit, Storm, Gremlinz, Overlook, Skanna, Equinox and many more.
