The word legend gets thrown around far too easily these days. Not this time. Peshay has been at the forefront of the drum and bass scene since its very inception; now he is back and this time it’s funky. His latest EP Funkster is all about getting in the groove, pulling influences from a melting pot of jazz, funk and disco. It is only a taster however, with a full album set to be released at the end of the year –and lets not forget the first releases of new label Peshay Music – things are getting very exciting.
Let’s get funky! Have you been influenced by the return of disco in house music or was it something you decided on your own?
I’ve always liked to make music that is funky, the groove is very important to me. Especially with these kinds of tracks. I like disco and have always used influences from it, especially with the strings. And I’ve always been influenced by house music too, with artists like Joey Negro, Kevin Saunderson and labels like Strictly Rhythm, Nervous and a label from Canada called HI-Bias to name a few.
Funkster is an extremely light and upbeat track. What setting did you have in mind for this when you made it, if any?
I like to get a feel good factor in my tracks. I like to have a vibe that sends out a positive message, but of course everyone will hear a track differently. These kinds of tracks, ones with funk and jazz influences, the right groove is very important. A track with a jazz influence has to have that swing in the bassline.
I really enjoyed Natalie Reece’s vocals on Fall For You, was she someone you chose directly? What did you want her to bring to the track?
I’ve known Natalie for a while, but we have just started to work together. I played her the instrumental of and she said to me that she would like to try something on it. She played me her ideas for it and I liked it straight away and so we recorded it. She captured the vibe that I was looking for and I’m very happy with what she did.
So what next? Are you already itching to get back into the studio, ready for the next project?
I am presently working on a lot of different tracks at the same time right now, sorting out tracks right now for my album that is due to come out on V Recordings later this year. I am also putting the finishing touches to some others that I am working on. I’ve also got the tracks ready for the first releases on my new label Peshay Music, coming soon.
In a time where people are obsessed with genre what is your personal definition of funk? What does funk mean to you?
I’m not so obsessed with genres as a whole in music. I’m simple in the fact that there is only two styles of music for me, music that I like or music that I don’t! But if you ask me what does funk mean to me? Funk has a definitive groove and for me it is all in the bassline. James Brown is a perfect example; the grooves that he was generating back then paved the way for so many producers and inspired so many people from all walks of life. James Brown had that swing in his music that would make you instantly sit up and take notice; well at least it did me anyway!
I take it funk and jazz in their original forms have been massive influences on you. Which artists, and more specifically tracks, gave you the most inspiration for this project?
As I have said, James Brown is always a big inspiration for me, also people like Donald Byrd (RIP) and certain tracks are always inspiring. Tracks like these…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWS2flFJ35Y
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9nwcpGZE6A
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d1i35T5yAk
Now name three of your all time funkiest tracks from other artists?
These are three of my funkiest all time tracks. They all capture what funk is about for me: that infectious groove!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOD-M7WZkZQ
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8sB7shtppQ
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4fXnoLI1RU
I wonder if you could get really specific for me. Are there any particular drops or build-ups that really had you amazed when you first heard them? That can be funk or drum and bass in general.
One that I remember hearing for the first time was this…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjQW0l9pTaA
The Horn has so much atmosphere! And as soon as you hear it, it stops you in your tracks! I remember the first time I heard it, when it dropped it literally took my head off! Another one is this…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrVpIgFX51w
The bass! Also Dillinja’s bass drops are just so immense and powerful!
Through such a successful career there have clearly been a lot of highs, and the new EP looks set to be another one, but have there been any lows or struggles in your career, and how did you handle them?
Yeah there are always ups and downs. These things are experiences and how you think about them shapes the way you deal with them. You just have to get on with it and not live in the past, because that can mess you up. Being bed bound for about a year was a really tough thing to get my head around in mid 94-95. It was so difficult to keep my mind somewhere else and not just focus on the pain and being miserable. Thinking back about it that was a very low time for me, because I felt so grounded. But there have been many highs too, like my comeback set at the Metalheadz night at the Bluenote just after that time when I was ill.
Metalheadz at Bluenote was a really special night wasn’t it?
Yeah Metalheadz at Bluenote was always a special night for me, it was one of the most inspiring of all. It was special for so many reasons: the music, the vibe, the people, and the sound system. The fact that it went from the deepest kind of tracks to the most summery and people loved the diversity of it all. Everyone was on the same level and connected. Being involved in one of the most influential club nights in the history of this music was and is an honour for me.
What advice would you give yourself if you had the chance to go back 20 years and do it all over again?
If I had to go back 20 years and do it all over again, then of course yeah there are some things I would change but on the other hand you have to make mistakes to learn. It’s all part of growing up, the most important thing for me is to not get too hung up about something. It’s all about moving forward.
As someone who has been through it all what do you make of the current drum and bass scene?
The music is as strong as ever. Some people say they preferred it 15 years ago and there are some that prefer what is happening now musically. The main thing is the drum & bass scene is so diverse. You can find whatever style you like from in ya face to laid back. It incorporates all different vibes from a wide spectrum of music genres within it.
Finally, any chance you can tell me something you have never told in an interview before? Whether it’s a funny story from a gig or a little known fact about how you make your music.
A little funny story that happened some years ago. I got booked to play a set at the Montreaux Jazz festival with MC GQ in 1999. I will never forget what went through my mind when we turned up at the venue to play. When we arrived there was a big stage and a live jazz band were playing. People were all sitting down at tables and having food and drinks! I remember GQ saying to me, “how is this gonna go down then? Where are the turntables and mixer?”
What happened next was so funny! Within 15 minutes of us arriving, all these people appeared from nowhere and started to clear the tables and tell people that they had to get up! Within about 20 mins all the tables and chairs were cleared and all the band equipment was cleared and replaced with turntables, a mixer and monitors. It was mad to watch everything going on in that 20 mins before we started playing! The gig was great in the end, but I will never forget the look on GQs face when we saw the jazz band playing and all the tables with people sitting down eating and drinking. Funny memory!
Interview: Ted Lane
The Funkster is out now. Listen and download