Beatport: The #BeatportDecade Interview: Datsik @ Musique Non Stop |  |
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Posted: 02 Nov 2014 03:00 PM PST
#BeatportDecade is a series celebrating the past 10 years of dance music, providing insight into the artists, tracks and labels that drove the evolution of its sound and culture, and interviews with the people who made history.
“I have way too many hats,” admits Troy Beetles, who dubstep heads know better as Datsik. “I think I’m probably at about 200 hats right now. I actually just did a master cleanse before moving into my new house two years ago…at one time I had about 300 to 350 hats.” Ballcap obsession aside, the 26-year-old Canadian's main game is body-shaking bass music. Back in 2009, he teamed up with compatriot Excision for a succession of releases that would help set the tone of North America’s dubstep phenomenon. Regular solo releases and remixes of names like Bassnectar, Diplo and The Crystal Method swiftly made him a permanent fixture of the Beatport charts. Very soon, Datsik was a drawcard on festival stages, from Coachella to Shambhala to EDC Las Vegas. In 2012, the producer delivered his Vitamin D album on Steve Aoki's label Dim Mak, adding to an already-prolific catalog. Then his attention turned to the imprint he leads, Firepower Records, which cultivates like-minded artists in the stateside dubstep scene. All the while, he’s stayed the course as an ambassador for one dance music's most divisive and misunderstood genres. Recently, we checked in with the Firepower boss at his home in sunny Los Angeles to chat about the genre's evolution, the impact Ed Rush & Optical's drum & bass classic “Pacman” had on him, how Bassnectar always gets him dancing, and lots more. What's the concept behind the five exclusive tracks that you're giving away in honor of Beatport Decade? What makes them so special? I wanted to give some exposure to the young guns on my record label and showcase their music. These are some tracks which have inspired me to write different kind of stuff, all bred from the Firepower family. What's the theme/concept behind your 10-track chart selection? Why do these songs stand out to you? All of these tracks I have picked for the week basically represent “the classics” for me. Each track basically represents a turning point to some degree, It feels like every one of these tracks has shaped the ‘sound’ of dubstep in some way. Benga — “Dominion” The first time I heard this tune I was blown away. I didn't know dance music could be as dark as this and I instantly fell in love with it. It just felt so right for some reason when it was mixed with insane heavy dub bass. This track was a game-changer for me. I remember every day after audio school, I'd go to my friend's house and spin records; this would always be one of the first records I would put on. DJ Fresh — “Gold Dust” (Flux Pavilion Remix) Both of these guys are legends. I had met Josh (Flux Pavilion) on DubstepForum.com back in the day when I first started writing dubstep. He must have been the first dude that I had met in the scene. I remember his tracks having tons of success back then and nothing has changed. I still occasionally drop "Gold Dust" on crowds stateside and people still lose their shit. That's how you know a track has made it into the Hall of Fame. Bar 9 — “Murda Sound” When I first heard Bar 9 I had to go home and instantly figure out how they did it. In my opinion, they were the first ones to really do the mid-range basses "properly" without going too over the top with a savage high-end mixdown. On top of that, they were really the only ones doing that kind of stuff at the time. Emalkay — “When I Look at You” This was probably one of the biggest dubplates in dubstep dubplate history. Back in the day, all the big names (like Skream, Benga, Caspa and Rusko) had this record and for almost a year would close their sets with it. Hats off to Emalkay; I have always been a big fan of his productions. Chase & Status — “Saxon” I remember hearing this one for the first time on Radio 1. It was so dope at the time. I remember being like "What? This is the coolest track ever!" Chase & Status are legends and this track was a big inspiration, to keep it different and simple and most of all dope-as-fuck! Kid Sister — “Pro Nails” (Rusko Remix) This record was so badass when it came out. Again, I still play this from time to time and get a wicked reaction from it. Had that classic Rusko sound everyone came to admire. Rusko tracks always had this type of energy that wasn’t easy to achieve, considering a lot of the dubstep prior to this from the UK had more of a slower, simpler feel. A lot of people called it "party dubstep" because it would always make a dancefloor flip out. Excision & Datsik — “Swagga” Excision and I were really surprised when this track got as much success as it did. To be honest, we both kind of hated it when we finished it. However, It ended up being one of our most successful tracks to date. I think the hip-hop vocal sample, laced with the gnarly big wobble basses hit a large percentage of the dubstep heads, and gained new fans because it was something different at the time and had some genre crossing appeal (especially with the North American hip-hop scene being as big as it is). Doctor P — “Sweet Shop” No one would have really predicted this crazy high-pitched insanity being the 'next big thing' in dubstep. However, this was one of the craziest records out there, and set a big trend for all the new producers. Every time this track would drop on the dancefloor people would lose their minds, and it got a rewind almost every single time it was played. With this track, Circus Records was also spawned, being one of the first releases on that record label. La Roux — “In for the Kill” (Skream’s Lets Get Ravey Remix) This felt like one of the first tracks to really gain commercial success. After this one dropped I was hearing it everywhere. I heard it on commercials, on TV shows, and even on the radio a couple times in Canada. That was the first time I had heard dubstep on the radio, and from that point on I knew it was gonna be huge. Skrillex — “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” When this came out in 2012, dubstep was on the verge of exploding to the masses in North America. It was the hottest it's ever been. Skrillex's timing was perfect when this dropped, taking a new sound and slam-dunking it on a huge new market. This set the trend of the more recent stage of dubstep. It’s almost embarrassing how many producers out there after this really attempted to sound like Skrillex. In my opinion, this is what caused the decline of dubstep. Instead of re-inventing or playing with a new sound design, a lot of the new producers beat it to death and would imitate it instead of doing something original and fresh. You are not Skrillex, so stop trying to be! Skrillex really did something amazing – it would be great to see others attempt to be as innovative as he has been. Originally, what was the one track, artist or club night that turned you on to dance music? I got into it through breaks and drum & bass. I was really into The Freestylers, Pendulum, DJ Fresh and Ed Rush & Optical. Actually, I remember one of the first records that had instantly converted me was Ed Rush & Optical's "Pacman" in 2000. I had to buy that record! What's the one piece of DJ/production gear you can't live without? The ‘desert island’ list? I'm guessing if I say a computer, that would be too obvious. But if there happened to also be a computer on that island and I got to pick one other item or software, it would have to be Native Instruments Massive. I've made almost every bassline ever with that synth and I will probably continue to use it for years to come. What is your fondest musical memory over the past 10 years? One of my fondest memories would have to have been going to the Shambhala Music Festival [in British Columbia, Canada] with all my friends for the first time, and hearing Bassnectar in the forest. That moment changed my life completely and I will never forget it. What's the biggest change in the scene you've experienced over the past decade? What has remained the same? It's tough to pinpoint what the biggest change was in the dubstep scene, because it's all changed so rapidly from the time I heard it from the UK to where it is now. Dubstep has had the most radical change over the shortest period of time in the whole dance music scene. It was amazing to see the bastard child (being dubstep) become the cool kid for such a long period of time. The scene continues to change so rapidly, it's incredible. If you took a year off from hearing any and all dance music, when you came back there would probably be a new genre or two and everything will have shifted in some way. The only thing that has really stayed somewhat the same, is house music, aside from the spawn of deep house. 128-BPMs is not going anywhere and will always be the staple of dance music. Looking forward, what's your prediction for the emerging trends over the next decade? Most forms of house music will continue to get bigger. The more aggressive stuff needs a bit of a break before it comes back in full effect. I think the fusion of indie bands and new-wave EDM will end up being super massive for a while. Think Disclosure or Krewella, who hit both mainstream and EDM markets. However, wherever there is a mainstream, there is an underground…and it always ends up being the underground stuff that rises to the top eventually. I am very excited to see what’s in store for everyone that doesn't wanna switch to deep house. What DJs make you want to dance? I always enjoy Bassnectar sets; I love his style of mixing. I guess it’s a bit clichéd to say Skrillex as well, but he definitely makes me move too. I think the biggest thing to get me moving is to hear stuff I haven’t heard before. As a producer and DJ I personally don’t really care if I hear Calvin Harris play his “hits.” I'd rather hear all the B-roll shit. I feel like I'm always listening to stuff on a big system, whether it be at the club, at a festival, or in my studio, so it kind of loses its effect unless it’s something different and innovative. It really doesn’t matter what tempo it is, as long as it’s sick and different. If you were to nominate a single young artist to be on the lookout for, who would that be? I am really feeling Fox Stevenson right now. I feel like he has the whole package to take it to the next level, and he will. He makes all tempos, sings over all his own tunes, does insane sound design and engineering, and has some of the best mix-downs in the game. On top of that he is insanely musical, has tons of crossover appeal, and he understands the business. And he is a cool dude! Check out “High Five!,” or any of the tracks off of this EP, to see what I am talking about. This is the new wave of talent that I was talking about that I feel will emerge, big time, over the next few years. What would you like for your musical legacy to be? If there was one thing in your musical career you'd want to be remembered for, what would that be? That's a tough question. I guess the biggest thing for me is, I want to write a few timeless pieces that people will still be listening to in the future. Sounds come and go, but I definitely wanna get a couple of those really cool tracks in there. I also wanna try and merge a few different ideas and genres together. Dubstep and hip-hop are my favorites. However, being a record label owner, it's also kinda cool being able to live vicariously through exciting new acts and helping them achieve their goals and seeing their success. I feel like I will always be involved in the music industry in some form or another, and if that’s all I end up achieving, I will still be happy because I am able to make a living doing what I love. What's next for you? I have a new EP dropping soon, followed by a massive bus tour from January to April, running the label and dropping new plates for all the heads. And keeping it ninja, of course. Ready for more Datsik? Go to #BeatportDecade now and download some of his exclusive free tracks.  |
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Posted: 02 Nov 2014 03:00 PM PST
#BeatportDecade is a series celebrating the past 10 years of dance music, providing insight into the artists, tracks and labels that drove the evolution of its sound and culture, and interviews with the people who made history.
The dubstep origin story begins in an otherwise unspectacular commuter city about ten miles south of London’s city center. DJ Hatcha, the genre’s patient zero, was working as a record buyer at Big Apple Records on Surrey Street in Croydon. Their inventory left plenty of shelf space for the stark minimalist, dub-inflected and grime-influenced garage music that was emerging from London’s underground at the time—supporting early pioneers like El-B, Horsepower Productions, and Benny Ill. "Big Apple supported underground music—it wasn’t into the big garage names," Skream recounts in a 2006 interview with The Independent. "It became the headquarters for this experimental sound and everyone took their tracks there." In 2002, the shop’s owner, John Kennedy, teamed up with DJ/producer Artwork and Hatcha to form Big Apple Records, releasing the first-ever twelve-inch singles from some of dubstep’s most monumental figures: Benga, Skream, Digital Mystikz, and Loefah. While the label’s first release, Artwork's Red EP (reissued by Tempa on the 2006 compilation, Roots of Dubstep) exemplifies the dark, swinging’ garage sound that preceded dubstep’s halftime lurch, tracks like Benga and Skream’s "The Judgement" hint at the off-beat rhythms to come. Having released their "Pathways"/"Ugly" single with Big Apple, Digital Mystikz, or DMZ (the producers Mala and Coki) moved on to found their own eponymous imprint, nurturing a more weed-headed, slow-motion sound. On tracks like "Anti-War Dub" and a remix of "Cay’s Cray" by Fat Freddy’s Drop, DMZ pushed reggae’s laid-back rhythmic skank to the fore; other Rasta-fied classics like Kromestar and Cessman's "Kalawanji" solidified the connection. The duo then inaugurated one of the genre’s seminal club nights, a bi-monthly rave held in a converted church in Brixton—one that would ultimately carry a different kind of religious significance for dubstep’s early adopters. DMZ was rivaled only by FWD>>, another essential club night whose resident DJs—future Hyperdub label head Kode9, as well as Youngsta and Plastician—were known for their pioneering mixes on the London pirate radio station Rinse.FM. By 2005, the genre had scored its first true hit: Skream’s "Midnight Request Line," a career-defining slice of bass-weight that is both psychologically haunting and physically devastating when rinsed on a proper sound system. So, like "an alien virus—so alien, so viral," as the dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson would intone over Burial's "Spaceape," the bug began to creep quietly into hosts overseas. In 2006, BBC Radio 1 broadcaster Mary Anne Hobbs assembled many of the scene’s staples for a one-night showcase called Dubstep Warz, a milestone moment that carried it into the homes, automobiles, and bedrooms of innumerable future fans. Hobbs, a penultimate scholar whose enthusiasm vibrated outwards from the radio dial, would again make history in 2007 by programming the first ever dubstep showcase at the Sónar festival in Barcelona. It was around this time that dubstep began to destabilize, splintering into numerous mongrelized offshoots. There were variations labeled "Purple" or "Wonky"—both synth-soaked, hyper-colorful treatments of 140BPMs, exemplified by tracks like Joker and Rustie's "Play Doe." There were the tech-y mutations that combined dubstep’s weighty sub-bass and stripped-back atmosphere with the hypnotic groove of minimal techno; see standouts like "Techno Dread" by 2562 or mid-career releases from the Hotflush imprint—whose catalog had shifted from steppers’ tunes like Toasty's "The Knowledge" in 2004 to deep house records like Scuba's "Hard Boiled" in 2008. In ’06 and ’07 Burial released two full-length albums in quick succession, both massive crossover records that deconstructed garage and dubstep rhythms nearly to the point of collapse—evoking melancholic, dystopian images like "abandoned spaces once carnivalized by raves," as music critic Mark Fisher described it. The Bug would also hit a home run with his equally apocalyptic, dancehall-infused London Zoo in 2008. Meanwhile, Benga and Coki climbed the UK singles chart with their wildly successful collaborative single, "Night," and the original crew, tethered to OG labels like Deep Medi, Tectonic, and Tempa, began to get more worldwide festival bookings than they knew what to do with. By ’08, dubstep-friendly club nights and festivals were in many global capitals: Sub:Stance in Berlin, Dub War in New York, Untitled! In Antwerp, Club Mondo in Barcelona, Gritsy in Houston, and the list goes on. Then came the filthy face-melters, as producers started competing for the heaviest drops and the nastiest basslines. While artists like Borgore, Datsik, or even Bassnectar may lay claim to the more saturated side of the contemporary dubstep landscape, they certainly aren’t the first to rodeo; tracks like Coki’s single "Tortured" and Rusko’s "Cockney Violin" laid the groundwork as early as 2006. By 2010, the more in-your-face varieties, which eased off the sub-bass frequencies in favor of pummeling mid-range synths, had become the face of the genre, and "dubstep" had turned into a divisive word. There was a six-month period during which it was impossible to avoid the banshee screech of Doctor P's "Sweet Shop" blaring from cars, leaky headphones, and club speakers. With the rise of this more commercially-viable, festival-ready "brostep" variant, it seemed like everyone wanted a piece of the action, both inside and outside of the dance music world. Not only did Deadmau5 commission a Caspa remix for his 2009 single, "I Remember," but Britney Spears jacked the genre’s most iconic qualities for her Blackout album; Rihanna included four dubstep tracks on her 2009 LP, Rated R; Snoop Dogg hopped on the bus with Chase & Status to do a vocal version of "Eastern Jam," and Ellie Goulding tapped Bassnectar for a remix of her single "Lights." In 2012, Sonny Moore, former front man of a semi-successful screamo band called From First To Last who'd transformed himself into the DJ/producer Skrillex, won two Grammys for his sophomore EP, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. He found his second wind in the late Aughts after immersing himself in LA’s fledgling dubstep scene, anchored by pioneering producers like 12th Planet and the city’s monthly SMOG parties. The same year, UK trio Nero would achieve gold status in the United States for their collaborative remix of "Promises" with Skrillex. The movement had either achieved its glorious destiny or totally jumped the proverbial shark. As of 2014, dubstep is still a force on the field of popular culture. While many of the scene’s original proponents have abandoned ship—Skream declared it dead, and now plays/produces disco and house—the genre’s hardcore devotees appear un-phased. As the wobble wave recedes from the shores of mainstream festival culture, the sound has proved much more resilient on the underground circuit. Labels like Black Box Recordings continue to release future-gazing dubstep, grime, and bass music, like Author’s Forward Forever LP and Kahn‘s bombastic self-titled EP from 2013. Imprints such as Keysound and Tectonic have set off in more experimental directions, releasing audio mutations that often border on ambient, industrial, and shoegaze. Festivals like Outlook in Croatia, Shambala in Canada, and Decibel in the US still nurture UK bass music and its many varieties. Ultimately, the story of dubstep’s decade is one of a distant subterranean rumble that erupted into a global cacophony in the blink of an eye—and after a prolonged moment in the sun, maybe it can’t hurt to head back underground. Max Pearl (@maxpearl) is a NY-based writer, editor, DJ and regular contributor to VICE, Resident Advisor and others. He is also the founder of Cluster Magazine.  |
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