Kontest: "I sold my drum & bass vinyls to buy ragga-jungle dubplates"

Kai tik atsirado drum and bass garsai - jis grojo roką, kai Ragga Jungle buvo viršūnėje - jis grojo sunkų dnb, o kai 2008 Jungle veteranai tylėjo - jis pateikė du mega hitus. Su pasididžiavimu pristatome jums Kontest - prancūziškų džiunglių atstovą, kurį, pasiruošimo renginiui The Infernal Art metu, kalbina Cr-edit.

Can you tell us a few words how you got into music, when you began producing and why it was jungle music?

I became involved in music at 14 when I started playing drums in a noisy-rock band. I listened mostly to rock music and I continue to listen to it a lot. I became interested in jungle in 2002 after going to different drum & bass parties in Paris. So, I started to mix hard drum & bass myself but I quickly sold my drum & bass vinyls to buy ragga-jungle dubplates and started to produce my own tracks.

Your tunes sound really good. They have everything what people need now, they are quite fast and good for the dancefloor, but they also have a good oldschool spirit with heavy amens and strong basslines. Where does your influence come from? Is it hard to write your own tracks? How much does it take you to do it?

I love old school and roots reggae/ dancehall style. When I make a track, I try to communicate this love of reggae music to the people and I think that the good vibes of reggae and dancehall come to the vocals. So, I look for the most interesting vocal melodies and only after that I build a musical structure with basslines and amens like a song is written with verses and the chorus. I’m not a hard worker, I like to take my time to make a track, without any restraint.

I've heard that you also play the guitar and the drums, where did you learn to play all these instruments and which of them do you like the most? One more question: do you use these instruments in your tracks - doing some live session recordings and then using them in your tracks?

I have played the drums and the guitar for over 15 years. I studied music at school, I learned to “read” scores and write music. Drums are my main instrument but playing the guitar is easier when you live in an apartment! I sometimes use the instrument on my tracks, like on “Gumsion”, I play a reggae guitar riff.

Do you write only jungle and dubwize or also some different music? And when you perform as a DJ what music do you select? Can people expect your set to be similar to the music you make?

Making jungle tracks and mixing takes up much of my free time, but I listen to a lot of different music styles. I think it’s very important to have several influences even if this has nothing to do with the music that you produce. In my shows, I like to play oldschool jungle, from the years 94 / 95. I think it was the most creative period for jungle music. I try to find a few that typical sounds in my tracks.

I think it’s a dream of every producer to be pressed on vinyl, how did you get to sign with Toxic and Conquest? Can you share your story and give some advice to the young producers.

Jerome, the owner of Toxic, contacted me via a music forum and asked me to make a track for his label. The first collaboration went well, so I signed for a second 7” vinyl with two tracks. The vocation of this label is to promote the French jungle scene. It was not easy at the beginning but I think it works well now. Conquest, led by Victor Paul from 45Thieves, contacted me via myspace. There’s a great understanding between us so we worked together on “Junglist” Conquest 006. If I had to give some advice, this would be to share the music that you make as much as possible, play in parties, upload on forums, and meet passionate people to make your own music known.

Now about the dj'ing - what do you prefer vinyl/ CD/ MP3? and why?

Vinyls, finally.

Last year was not so big in releasing jungle music especially pressing it on wax. Maybe you have some suggestions why this thing has happened. I can count all the releases on my fingers and one of these releases was yours on Toxic, which is a French label, also audiobullet records from Germany and just a little bit from overseas. Can you state your opinion about what is happening in the jungle scene.

I think it’s mainly an economic and logistic problem. It is very expensive to make a vinyl now : you have record the master tracks in a professional studio, press copies in a factory, make sleeves, and organize the distribution network. It takes a long time to create a label. It’s simpler and more economical to develop a digital label. But I think it’s just a period, a lot of people still use vinyls. The vinyls will come back!

Is Jungle big in France?

We are a few dj’s and producers who make ragga-jungle in France but the scene is active. People like Badweed, Djoh, +2h-2n and Soul Soldier contribute to promoting jungle in France.

What are your plans for the future? Are there any upcoming releases?

I made a track for More Recordings label. It will be released by this summer.

And which of your choons do you like most? And the other question: which choons of the other producers made the biggest impression on you.

I don’t really know which is my favourite track. Maybe “Screwface”, I like the atmosphere of this choon. My favourite tracks by other producers are “RIP” by Remarc, “Rastaman” by Rebel Mc, “Black” by Dj SS “Oh Gosh” by Undercover Agent and “Ganja Man” by Krome & Time from oldschool tracks, and “Junglist Outlaw” By choopstick, “My Sound Rule” by Debaser, “Laser Tune” by Dj Clear and “Informa Fi Dead” by Jahba & Sumone from newschool ones.

Maybe you want to add any personal comments?

I just want to thank you for your interest in my music and for contributing to the promotion of jungle music in your country. Peace and Bless.

http://www.myspace.com/kontestsound http://www.electrobel.fr/profile/203