Every groove is a sample from my life
His name is Beepo. He periodically hears ‘the sounds of the future’. He favours beer cans, basketballs or tapping CD cases over more traditionally accepted definitions of multimedia. He also has an infectious, wickedly eccentric track called ‘One Three Four’, out on 2707 via Violation and recently championed via a certain podcast. Such a maverick tune, such a unique creative approach… seems a fitting place to start.
Tell us about this wonderful tune, Beepo.
‘One Three Four’ is about a robot who repeat itself, the same things over and over again and is a reminder for us not to fall in this trap!
There’s so much that must inspire you in life… it must never end.
I just wish I had the time to put it into tunes. But of course this isn’t possible, so basically I have to filter and get the ones I like best.
For example?
For example I had this one night out and in a sudden I had this voice in my head: sounds of the future.
So I left home at 3AM, hooked the mic, started my DAW and recorded my voice. Then I processed it to sound like a robot.
There was also another tune in which I used a basketball bounce sound for the drums. I always wanted to do this but the main issue was to find a dance-able groove but still experimental.
I also love the air feel from the ball hitting the ground.
I feel with your mindset and love of the medium you must do loads of tunes… ‘No Choice’ on the flipside is also really cool.
Yes I do, I try to make two to three tunes on a week. I just wish releasing them would be that easy as making them!
So what sort of techniques, tics and personal habits in music do you gravitate towards?
I like to keep it simple: usually I don’t exceed 20 tracks when the tune is done… I also don’t use any VSTs or plugins.
I have a notebook full of ideas. It could take weeks before I really sit down and record/write them in my DAW.
I like hitting/scratching stuff that are on my table right now. A pen, cd case, input jacks, coins, beer cans, cellphone bleeps, microphone feedback, noise from my window, it all goes in.
Or, I’m at a friend’s house and if I find something that sounds nice I ask them to borrow it for a day or two and make with them so every groove is a sample from my life.
What tunes are in your head right now, any genre?
Oooooooh so many:
Madeleine Peyroux ‘Blue Alert’
Aphrodite and Mickey Finn ‘Bad Ass’
Ben Kama ‘Silence Is Golden’
Model 500 ‘The Flow (Alex Reece Remix)’
War Machine ‘Twisted’
Bop ‘Spiral’
Who are your heroes in D&B?
Teebee. The whole Legacy album cause he still has the best intros in DNB
Calibre. The Second Sun album for the complex layering while retaining a minimal approach.
Plus Electrosoul System: a way to blend funk with electro spacey sounds.
If you could time travel to any era of music – D&B, beats, rock, you name it… what one and why?
I love THIS 2014 era in music ’cause I think now more then ever there is so much good music around and that only makes me happier I can be part of it. Plus we can get in touch with anyone on the internet.
Speaking of, how did you hook up with the Violation?
Online: Gareth & Stuart needed tunes for Violation I had them so we made a good team.
And you broadcast online?
I also have a Bassdrive show together with my good friend Mental Chemistry once on every two weeks called The Vital Habits Show.