CLUB
Friday 20 February, 23:00Paris Social Club, 75002 [map]Dmx Krew / Brodinski / Noob / Thomas Von Party
This weekend it's Paris' turn to play host to DJ, producer, Breakin' Records label boss and overall UK electrobass institution
Ed DMX. Since his first releases in the mid-nineties, Ed has played a key role in the development of left-of-the-centre UK dance culture, alongside Breakin' Records signings such as GD Luxxe and like-minded Rephlex label founder Aphex Twin.
We managed to still the international electro force that is DMX Krew for just long enough to answer a few questions...
TP: You've been on the scene for going on two decades - how is today's clubscape diffent to the one that "Sound of the Street" first entered?
DMX: 14 years thanks! There used to be more of a feeling that it was possible to make something new, mix things together, instead of DJs and producers who now pick a genre and stay within it. I want to hear something that sounds as new now as Derrick May did in 1988 and AFX in 1992. Last time I had hope for that was when UK garage started going weird with grime and dubstep etc. Around 2001-2003, before they solidified into predictable boring genres. It's sad the way music has been split into tiny genres leaving no possibility for people to be exposed to different things, for different people to come together. You go to a drum and bass night, or a minimal night, or an RnB night and you know exactly what you're going to hear all night long.
TP: Your music is often very specifically classified, but there's a lot of different angles to it - what influences make up the DMX sound?
DMX: Please check my blog dmxkrew.blogspot.com to hear lots of my influences. Especially I would say Kraftwerk, Drexciya, Aphex, Prince and 80s pop, also my sound is very influenced by the old analogue and digital gear I use to make it. Personally I never classify or think of my music as any particular genre other than perhaps "electronic" or "dance music".
TP: Was the 80's vibe of your earlier productions a nostalgic thing or a respectful nod? or both? Or neither?
DMX: It was just what I wanted to do. I often got portrayed as being ironic but really it was sincere, I loved things like Freeez and Paul Hardcastle as a kid and I had always tried to make that kind of music as well as house and techno etc. I tried to be authentically 80s but also to allow my own personality to come through as well, so it wasn't pure retro-ness hopefully.
TP: How do you feel about the recent electro revival thing?
DMX: I didn't know there was one. Is there? In the late 90s there was a bit, and detroit has always had some stuff going on. Nowadays the word "electro" seems to refer to anything from trancey commercial house to 4 guys with skinny ties and guitars and nice hair. So I don't see any electro revival, just a re-definition of the word. Electro to me was b-boys, white adidas superstars, rap over a drum machine sorta thing. Good to hear Pretty Tony on that Cadbury's ad though.
TP: You've always spent a lot of time on the road, but do you find yourself gigging more nowadays? Is the financial focus on performance over recording having any effect on DMX world?
DMX: Since I started doing music full time in the mid 90s, the majority of earnings has always been from DJing and playing live. There simply isn't much money in doing records now. But doing records is good for your profile and leads to the live work. Since I started Breakin' Records up again and decided to just pump out records thick and fast, it has definitely helped me get more gigs. So I am very busy right now, which is knackering but good. Without releasing the records, I would just be any DJ with a myspace page trying to get gigs and it would be a lot harder.
TP: What does your studio look like today in comparison to, say, MPC Trax days? Have you stuck with the vintage gear, or moved onto more digital pastures?
DMX: My studio hasnt changed a lot... I still have most of the same synths. you can see most of it
here. Since the 90s I bought a small modular synth, and the acid house trio of 808, 909 and 303, and recently a Rhodes piano which is awesome. But basically I still use a few analogue synths and hardware sequencing and a sampler, still the same mixer and speakers that I had years ago. MPC trax is a special case cos I made those when I was living in San Francisco and I ONLY had an MPC2000 with me so they are very basic tunes.
TP: What's your favourite drink?
DMX: Hmm fruit and sugar things, like still lemonade or those exotic fruit drinks that are packaged as if they are actual fruit juice.
TP: Do you have any pets?
DMX: No thanks
Bolstering the lineup tonight will be Fluokids key component
Brodinski, Tiga's kid brother and man-of-the-moment on the Paris electro scene
Thomas Von Party, and Bordeaux rising force
Noob.
| What: | Dmx Krew / Brodinski / Noob / Thomas Von Party |
| When: | Friday 20 February, 23:00 |
| Where: | Paris Social Club, 142 rue Montmartre 75002 [map] |
| Transport: | Grands Boulevards / Bourse |
| Cost: | 13EUR |
| Phone: | 01 40 28 05 55 |
| Email: | info@parissocialclub.com |
| Web: | www.parissocialclub.com |
|  |
