Rebel Intelligence DJ's - Basterdized Interview 01/11/2004 This month we are joined by Agent 2 (Lawrence) and Dask(Simon) from the
London based collective Rebel Intelligence. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are you well? How has 2004 been treating you so far? A2: Very well thankyou. considering the planet we live on.. DSK: It's had it's fair share of ups and downs.
Tell us a bit about the collective Rebel Intelligence.How did it come together and what were your objectives in doing so.What do you stand for? REBEL INTELLIGENCE: rebel intelligence was formed by like minded people around 1997. Its edges are blurred and it acts as both a platform for creativity and a reaction to its own environment, then and now. Sound is only one of many channels of expression we posess, and our objectives remain classified to avoid dilution. We stand not for anything, but against the corporate music evil that is all around.
You are currently residing in London.It seems people around the world always look to London as being a barometer for whats cool or what will be cool in the near future as far as electronic music goes. Do you think thats an accurate? Whats your lowdown on the electronic music scene in London at the moment? A2: Well, its very fragmented so its hard to say as a whole. You have big clubs which book some quite good people from time to time but still sit at the commercial end of dance music a bit, then you have regular smaller nights organised by promoters which book artist dependant on the music policy. I think in london, these are the nights that are really pushing things as far as creative line-ups and exciting new music goes: Abstrakt Knights/Colony parties, Scand, Outlet Collective, Bangface, Bleep43, Retrovert, and Erratica are all regular promotions and there are many more one-offs. however for its size, london is lacking credible venues to throw parties in and i think this is a big problem. London is a great indicator of whats going on but not generally the place where its all happening.. DSK: The scene in London is pretty healthy at the moment. There are loads of smaller nights that are happening on a weekly basis. I'd say it's healthier now that it's been for a few years.
How long you been spinning? Tell us about your musical evolution as a dj. Any strong influences? What were your first records/dance records?What styles have brought you to where you are today? A2: I've always been exposed to electronic music although the first time i was motivated to start playing/buying it was around 10 years ago when a friend intoduced me to a club called LOST. It was booking detroit people like Jeff Mills, Kenny Larkin, Robert Hood etc.. it was the first in the uk to do this and was so underground that it didn't even have flyers.. anyway, i was exposed to sounds that i thought were the future and so i fell in love with the music. around 3 years later i had decks but only for myself. Never thought i would play outside my house. DSK: The first dance tunes I started buying where hardcore records, reinforced, suburban base etc I got a set of decks in 96 and had been buying alot of drum & bass and techno around that time it wasn't until about 97 I started to get more into electro. I was into buying records before I got decks, DJing came as a natural progression from enjoying the music.
When was the first time you became conscious of the term DJ? Did you ever consider it then to be something you would want to end up doing? A2:. I was aware of acid house and early electro when at school, but at the time i played the drums in a band so i never considered i would ever take up dj'ing. When i first saw a (good) dj play i thought it looked too scary to play to a whole room of people like that.. DSK: Not really
What was your first dance/rave experience like - did you get on one matey? A2: I had been to clubs but completely out of context with the music i liked. the first club i went to that had an impact was LOST.. about 1992. blew me away.. DSK: Glastonbury festival 94. It was wicked.
How much money do you waste - I mean spend a month on vinyl? Do you like the record shop experience or do you acquire your vinyl by other means? Come across any particularly cool record shops on your travels? A2: I just seem to pick things up whenever possible. Now im not working full-time, shops are an option again. The internet is a quick route to bankrupcy .. i mean great for shopping. Juno, Boomkat, warp, newloop.. its no set amount, just a constant hole in my pocket.. DSK: I spend too much money on vinyl, I usually end up going without money for the last week before payday because I've spent it all on ebay and gemm the previous month. It does start to become a problem at times.
Are you worried about the future of vinyl? Will you be playing vinyl in 5 years? Ever tried Final Scratch? A2: haha.. not worried at all. I'm only concerned with the music that comes out of the speakers, not the tools used to make it or play it. I think by exploring other options like FS, Traktor or abelton it can only open up possibilities to mixing, not limit them. Personally i want to use a combination, so that i can mix records and use the laptop to play unreleased material or parts of tracks i like. I think as far as vinyl goes, its extremely dificult for labels to justify releases financially, but i don't think that means it will vanish altogether. Where there's a demand, there is a supply.. and yes i have tried final scratch.. its brilliant. DSK: I don't like the thought of records becoming obsolite because clubs no longer have decks setup in them. I'll continue to buy vinyl as long as they keep putting it out.
DJ's don't really have any musical talent - they just play other peoples music. How would you answer such a statement? A2: I wouldn't. I think its just ignorance.. however i do think there is too much importance put on the whole 'dj' thing. Its horrible when you look at how some genres of dance music treat dj's like gods.. makes me ill.. DSK: I don't think that is necessarily true, you couldn't say Qbert or Kid Koala don't have any musical talent.
Whats a dj if he can't scratch... comments? A2: Fair point. I like and respect dj's for their different styles, the things that define them. Sometimes tune selection alone can make a dj for me. i wouldn't say scratching is essential but it can really add energy to a set. I think people like q-bert and kid koala are really taking turntablism to a new level.. DSK: A wuss!
What is a Djs job? What makes someone a good dj? A2: Depends in what context, its a highly subjective question.To make everybody enjoy the set? or to play the music you want to play? for me its tune selection, mixing style, energy and set structure, but whoever is standing next to might have a different taste. I think its important for a dj to play music they like because they want to play it, not because they think people want to hear it. To me a good dj can get everybody dancing with the music they are passionate about. DSK: Playing good records is a start, having some skills here and there is a bonus but the tunes are the most imporant factor.
What Djs have blown you away. What are some Djs today you admire? A2: Jeff Mills, Kid Koala, Tipper, Mike Dredd, Surgeon, Ben Sims all blew me away in the past.. many up and coming dj's from london like the outlet collective can always rock a party. A lot of people ive seen recently using software to play live have been most impressive (volum, evac, ben milstein, crunch, bitstream.. ) but i guess thats not dj'ing, is it?.. DSK: Claude Young, Surgeon, Dexorcist, Jerome Hill
Like a bit of a boogie yourself on the dancefloor or are you more of a nodder and a frowner? Would you say the longer you've been in the game the less likely you are to dance? Why is that? A2: A bit of both but i know what you mean. Sometimes i am left standing but there is some music that i can't help but move to.. usually techno or some dark deep electo beats.. i think sometimes you can listen too closely, maybe thats one downside to complex challenging music on a dancefloor.. DSK: Not really into the chin stroking, much more fun to have a jump around.
Have you thought about producing music yourself? What strengths or weaknesses may a dj that starts producing have? <classified>
Any producers making you sit up and pay attention at the moment? A2: So many.. Ben Milstein, Bitstream, Ed Chamberlin, Crunch, Cane, Si Begg.. there's alot right now who are pushing the edges of electronic music, stretching its possibilities.. DSK: Ed Chamberlin
The electronic music scene has been going through a tough time in the last few years. Will things ever be the same? Should they be? What lies ahead for underground musicians? A2: Whatever happens, underground music (or as i like to call it 'music written out of passion') will always exist. There will always be people who will be making music for the sake of it, not for money. However shit and watered down parts of the industry get, it will still remain so i don't see a problem. especially with the internet, music from unknown people in very far away places has suddenly become more available and accessible. I think it could be an exciting time for this type of music in the future, as long as people keep taking their own direction.. DSK: Exciting times lie ahead, why look back? The technology today has brought about entire new possibilities for creating electronic music.
What role do drugs play in todays electronic music scene? A2: Well.. they get you high... but i don't need them to listen to the most fucked up music at home so i don't think they play an important role in the music. Socially they are always there, but creatively in writing and in the actual music i think they are more like adding sugar to a cup of tea.. ;) DSK: The same role they always have, the two go hand in hand
Where has your djing taken you in the world? Any highlights? Anywhere you would really like to play? A2: So far Berlin, Barcelona, Zurich, Basil(Switzerland), Bruno(Czech), Brussells, and around the UK quite a bit. Most recent highlight was a party in a windmill by the coast.. that was great. We're supposed to play in a brazil soon but its not quite confirmed yet. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to play these and in fact any gigs. One place that would be top of my list to visit is definately tokyo.. DSK: Have played a few gigs around Europe, looking forward to travelling out to south America hopefully soon.
Any tricks for getting that rather heavy 100 vinyl record bag past the nosy check-in bloke and safely into the cabin?
DSK: A small cash bribe?
Whats your idea of the perfect party? A2: Good people, good music, good venue, good sound.. DSK: Good music, decent crowd and a big phat sound system.
Has playing records ever got you laid?
DSK: No chance.
Would you let your daughter (if you had one) go out with a Dj? A2: I want my kids to make their own decisions, but if it was a trance dj i might have to put my foot down.. DSK: I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Five records you'd like to be buried with. A2: Simulant - Out Of Ether DSK: This is subject to change on a daily basis... LFO - Frequencies
Any advice for someone thinking about taking up Djing today, taking into account the current electronic music climate? A2: Even my mums a dj... i would say do it if you enjoy it. DSK: Buy good tunes!
REBEL INTELLIGENCE: Thankyou basterdized! keep up the good work!
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