The heavyweight pairing of ex-Bad Company boy Vegas and Uman, that is Blokhe4d, returns with another ferocious installment of the Bad Taste chronicles. Showing their production pedigree across two storming slabs of undeniable dance floor pressure, this is one release that demands to be heard. So strap yourselves in and check out this interview as things are about to get serious.
Vegas you were part of the original Bad Company and Uman you were part of Task Horizon, how did the Blokhe4d collaboration come about and where does the name come from?
Jonas (Uman): Well i was working in Switzerland on my own under Uman and working with a Vocalist on a project called The Passive Resistance. With the Passive Resistance I won a Swiss music award for best electronic act. This i thought would open doors for me back in Zurich. It did open a few but not as many as Ihad hoped. I eventually came to notice that I was in the wrong country to do what I wanted to do. So I decided to move to England and try my luck here.
Mick (Vegas): Well Jonas was actually kind of cheeky to be honest. He was doing an engineering course up in London and asked me on aim if it would be ok to use our studio space for a little bit until he had settled in and found something on his own. This then happened, and the first tune we finished together was snatched up by Hospital. The vibe in the studio was great and working with Jonas just seemed to click. A few weeks down the line the idea of doing a project together came up and that’s how Blokhe4d was born. As for the name, we were just going through a bunch of different ones when Blokhe4d dropped. We all liked it as it had the potential to become something of its own. It can be made into a character, a comic, whatever you want.
If you guys weren’t doing music what would you be doing? Any hidden talents?
Mick: I think I would be into special FX for movies. But in reality I would most likely be an author or a porn king.
Jonas: I would like to think I would be wealthy and successful. That’s what my job would be.
What else do you listen to apart from D&B? And where do you draw your influences from outside of D&B?
Jonas: I like anything to be honest. There are different things I look for in a tune. The longer I am involved with making music the more I tend to look for subtleties. Sometimes the "space" a track can create is already enough to get me. There are so many different reasons to like or dislike something. Listening to our podcast you can hear how diverse our taste in music is. It just has to get us.
Mick: In general there are two poles that interest us most. They would be energy and intensity and on the other side depth and honesty. What bothers me with a lot of modern music is it’s not personal. I hear a tune and i hear someone wanting to make an anthem the way it was done by some one else. This flattens out the potential dynamics music can have. Its not just dance music, it goes all the way up to the top.
Can you tell us about your studio set up?
Mick: It’s a room. With two chairs. Two speakers and a computer.
What is your favourite bit of equipment you couldn’t live without?
Jonas: Nowadays anyone who doesn't say "the computer" hasn't really thought this question through. I can tell what I could live without... Latency.
What do you think of the way deejaying technology is developing? Are you using vinyl, CDs, laptop?
Mick: We use CDs. Have been for over 5 years now. I think you have to embrace new technology otherwise you will just be living in the nostalgic past.
What has been your most memorable performance?
Jonas: Just came back from 2 shows in Puerto Rico. Was amazing! I had the time of my life and met people that will be friends of mine for a long time.
Mick: When I played Peter Pan in last years Christmas panto.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music or performing? How do you chill out?
Mick: Lately we have both been going kick boxing that's been great for both mind and body. Apart from that we run the label, which is really busy at the moment. When we chill we tend to really chill and do as little as possible.
Who you would most like to see Blokhe4d team up with on the ultimate collaboration?
Mick: John Carpenter, Trent Reznor, Quincy Jones
Jonas: Brian Eno, Tom Morello, Danny Elfman, Mike Patton
D&B is often cited as one of the most credible music scenes around but do you have any musical guilty pleasures?
Jonas: Mick loves the radio and X Factor!
Mick: Jonas listens to some weird shit sometimes.
Many people say the Mayans have predicted the end of the world in 2012, who would you feature on the line up of the last party on earth?
Jonas: It’s not the end of the world. Maybe the end of man kind but the world will still be here. But I don't think its going to be on a predictable date. Some time in the future something is bound to happen. When that time comes we will know it. Everyone thought the world would end in 2000. Still here...
Bad Taste is a legendary label with an impressive catalogue, what's lines up for Blokhe4d and Bad Taste over the coming months?
Mick: To begin with we have the Beyond the Void/Horror Show 12" from us and the Bad Wolf / Scumbag 12" By Aeph both of which we feel are strong 12s. After that there is Bad Taste 4! This is a compilation album of our favourite tunes from artists on the label, including Fourward, Telekinesis, Optiv, Upbeats, Audio, Aeph and Prolix. We are very happy with this. There is so much good music around! Following the album we have a 12" by Hedj. A German producer who we were looking to get music off for the label. But sadly passed away in a rafting accident shortly after sending us a project he wanted to collab on with us. We finished up the collab called "Spirit" and got an amazing tune by him and Neonlight called "The Joker" to go with it. We got his girlfriend involved and she got a friend of his to do the artwork. The proceeds will go to his family.
After that we have two great tunes by Neonlight lined up and tonnes more in the pipeline!!
Sounds like you've got a strong year ahead. Finally, any shout outs?
Jonas: All my friends in Puerto Rico! D in Australia, Jamie Parkin and his lovely Misses, ah man so many more...
Mick: Everyone on the label and everyone involved! Thanks for all the support. Most of all big thanks to Gareth!
No comments:
Post a Comment